Mattie McGrath warns of apprenticeship shortfall, backs training centre
Mattie McGrath criticised gaps in skills and construction policy, praising local training while warning of a major apprenticeship shortfall. He welcomed reform of the Safe Pass scheme and defended small builders against repeated attacks he said come from the left.
Local training praised
He congratulated Tipperary ETB and the centre in Archerstown and Turles, noting the centre trains a wide range of skills "from bed repairs for a hotel, bed maintenance, and cleaning of rooms in hotels, right up to construction, massive bulldozers, and everything in between, from shipping".
Apprenticeship shortfall
He warned there is a huge deficit of apprenticeships, referenced Deputy Nolan's projected numbers and argued the country lost focus on trades while too many people pursued college degrees instead of vocational routes.
Safe Pass reform
He welcomed the legislation reforming Safe Pass, calling the existing scheme "nothing short of a money-making item" and saying it currently provides little real training and merely wastes a day.
Retrofitting and solar VAT
He raised concerns about retrofitting and solar panel schemes, saying there was a "pop of a 23% VAT" for purchasers and that homeowners often had to install systems themselves, which creates issues for uptake.
Defence of small builders
He urged respect for small construction companies and employers, said rogue operators must be dealt with and criticised light-touch regulation, arguing small builders are needed to build houses, colleges, roads and community infrastructure.
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Good evening, and at Cade d'Orchise, I would like to congratulate Tipperary ETB and the fabulous centre that they have in Archerstown and Turles, where they train everything, literally from bed repairs for a hotel, bed maintenance, and cleaning of rooms in hotels, right up to construction, massive bulldozers, and everything in between, from shipping and you name it. We need more of that. We have a huge deficit of apprenticeships, and Deputy Nolan just referred to the estimated projections of numbers. Where are we going to get these people? We're not going to get them. First of all, we have to come in and recognise what the trades are. We lost our eye after ball for years with the tradespeople, and we didn't have apprenticeships. Very, very valuable to our society. Everybody wanted to be in college and having degrees coming out to their ears, but we didn't have anyone to do the work. So we have promises here, like we had a correction there when I go into the old record. People are looking at that scheme equally regarding the retrofitting and solar panels. But now we find there was a pop of a 23% VAT for the person to buy it. They have to put it in themselves. But to stick to this legislation, I welcome it. I do welcome the reform of the Safe Pass. The Safe Pass has been nothing short of a money-making item. That has happened in this country. It has been gobbled up by people with briefcases and a few courses and they have become officials. I have sat on the Safe Pass, and so have staff. It is pathetic, to be honest. It gives no training. It is a waste of a day. That is what it is. It badly needs reform. I can also say that we must have legislation here that protects workers. Of course we must have. I value workers. Every employer has good workers and they look after themselves. But I too, like my colleagues yesterday, I want to decry the people in here who day in, day out, hour in, hour out, got no made attacking construction companies and construction people and small builders and developers as if they were plagued. We need those people to create work. We need small businesses and we need to be able to do the work and build the houses and get the houses. And it is mainly coming from the left here. And the very, very hard left. I don't know what left. They didn't wear a hard hand because you will never see them near a building site. They don't know what the building site is, or a smid mixer, or a shovel, or anything else. But they keep decrying and demonising these people. So how are we going to encourage the printers then, on the other hand, to go into this work if they are going to be all working by cowboys and cabals and horrible people? This has to stop. Respect the building companies. The rogues that were in there must be dealt with. Light touch regulation wasn't a good thing for any of them. But they are ordinary people that want to have small businesses, small employers, maybe one to ten people, and businesses that want to employ people and work and help people to work and get work done. Build houses, build the infrastructure in our communities that we need to allow the house to be built, the colleges and everything else that have to be built, and the roads. And we need that we won't have to go in abroad for all hours. Nothing against people coming to work from abroad, but we didn't have anyone to do any work, and we barely need that. So respect the workers, and they'll carry on the work. Thank you very much. Everyone, excellent question! By purpose the past you will be written about theatre, and I ASCO, as you know Christopher Laudatoe as you know from this career, we will ensure that we have now have enough work of fiction to learn about lives. With the22 Whoever happened now that a lot of work can가지고 such a pure way for your time. And IUU think that no matter here. Thank you very much. Thank you very much. So point to me, I'm going to look into this series and of course how it sewing and literally track. First of course team conversation is not working at this stage during the work. ま.
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