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Senator warns of building downturn
10.01.08
A DONEGAL senator has
called for urgent measures to help train and upskill
young men losing their jobs in the construction
industry.
Senator Pearse Doherty was commenting following
warnings from the Higher Education Authority (HEA)
that thousands of men working in Ireland's
construction industry were now at risk of
unemployment due to the decline in the sector.
Donegal and particularly Inishowen is highly
dependent on the building sector both in their own
county and nationally.
The HEA this week highlighted that up to 80,000
workers in the sector have only secondary education
and many left school at Junior Certificate level. |
"As the construction
industry continues to slow down the Government has
put nothing in place to help the thousands of
workers who face losing their jobs," said Senator
Doherty.
“The statement from the HEA highlights a crucial
fact – many of these workers do not have any
education beyond second level, something which is
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compatible to the kind
of research and development economy we should be
aiming to develop in this state.
“The Government must act now to make sure that every
opportunity is made available to these workers to
upskill and educate themselves. FÁS, in particular,
have a huge role to play in this and should be
provided with the resources to do so."
The Sinn Féin education spokesperson added:
“Whatever resources are needed to enable people to
go to college or take on alternative apprenticeships
or training, must be made available.
"The cost of paying social welfare to thousands if
the sector takes a more serious downturn would only
amount to this kind of cash outlay after the fact
and would do nothing to prevent the sort of
depression that will descend on this State if jobs
begin to go. The opportunity must be seized to
improve our economy.” |
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