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Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Thursday, 8 May 1975

Vol. 280 No. 9

Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Manpower Training Needs.

49.

asked the Minister for Labour if, in view of the fact that there may be shortages of skilled manpower in several areas in the future, he will make further moneys available to AnCO to help them to expand the facilities they now offer.

The Exchequer allocation for current expenditure by AnCO for 1975 is £5 million. This represents an increase of £1 million over the amount provided for in the printed Estimates for 1975 and compares with £2 million for the nine-month period ended 31st December, 1974. This provision for industrial training is the highest ever since the foundation of AnCO. Allowing for grants from the European Social Fund, AnCO should have a total of £9 million for current expenditure in 1975. For these reasons, AnCO will be able to provide training for about 7,000 during 1975, including adults and apprentices, as compared with 4,500 in 1974.

AnCO collect, through their training advisers who visit firms on a regular basis, data on manpower according to skill level, and on categories in which shortages are likely to arise. AnCO have, therefore, incorporated into their planning, the objective of providing training in skills which are particularly suitable for expanding sectors of industry and offer best prospects of long term secure employment.

Further more, it is proposed to set up a unit within AnCO which will be responsible for the provision and interpretation of information on manpower training needs and in determining the likely skill requirements in the years ahead.

While I accept that extra moneys have been made available this year, has the Minister seen reports to the effect that the reason why we have this massive unemployment situation is that there are still industries and trades experiencing a shortage of skilled personnel? Will he consider further extending the advantages to this organisation?

The Deputy is right in saying that over the entire country there is still a shortage of skilled categories in particular industries. The answer there, of course, is more a long-term creation of extra skills rather than the training course we are engaging in during the present year. I made it clear, in opening the Dundalk Training Centre, that we were looking at the unemployment situation and would invest more than we are at present investing in the training area to use up any of the available unemployed. Our strategy in this period of down-turn for the economy is to ensure that more money than ever before is spent in training our manpower so that we will be in a position to avail of all the opportunities open to us when the economy picks up again with the other economies of our trading partners.

Arising out of the Minister's statement that he intends setting up an organisation within AnCO to identify the requirements and skills, would he not agree that if there is proper liaison between the national manpower service and AnCO this would fulfil the requirement?

Yes. The Deputy will appreciate, more than most in the House, since he occupied the position I now have, that there is necessity for an even more careful scrutiny of our requirements in the area of skilled manpower. The Deputy is right in pinpointing the necessity for continued liaison between the training authority and the manpower service that obtained in his time. I think it obtains now but I still believe it may be necessary to make that even more effective in present circumstances by the establishment of this unit, which the authority intend having.

The Minister may not have particulars for this question. Is the in-company training still continuing? Is there any success with it? This is based on the company levy.

As the Deputy is aware, this is not related to the question but it is still going on. We are constantly, as in his period in office, reviewing the effectiveness of the company levy. As he knows, there are various theories about its effectiveness, whether or not it should be revived. There is no final answer to that one yet.

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