Vol. 518 No. 6
83 Mr. McGinley asked the Minister for the Marine and Natural Resources the progress to date of the task force on training and employment in the fishing industry; when the final report will be produced; and if his attention has been drawn to the urgent need to take action to provide suitably trained workers for the employment opportunities in the fishing industry. [12910/00]
The work of the task force on employment and training is progressing and the task force will be reporting to me in the early autumn.
I am well aware of the specific difficulties facing the marine food sector in attracting and retaining a high quality workforce. With labour difficulties being experienced throughout the economy, there are strong social and economic arguments for making a special effort to address the employment issue in the seafood sector which is of vital importance in coastal communities. The key challenge for the sector is to attract and retain a high quality labour force and the task force has been mandated with recommending a range of industry led initiatives and other measures to maximise the quality and sustainability of employment.
The task force is consulting with the catching, aquaculture and processing sectors and undertaking a review of the current employment situation and human resource needs with a view to finalising an agreed strategy.
