Comments by Dr Michael P. Mortell President,
University College, Cork on the SKILLS SHORTAGE,
made at the conferring of Medical Degrees on 26 June, 1997
 
The Skills Programme

The Universities have been telling Government for over a year now of the impending skills shortage in areas such as Software, Computers, Electronic Engineering. The Universities have also pointed out that the "free fee" decision created not a single extra place in the Universities, and that if there was to be an increase of students, and hence graduates, in the high-tech areas then an investment must be made now by Government.

It would seem that Government has great difficulty in understanding that putting resources into the university system - which will provide the cohort of highly skilled young people who are the basis of to-day's prosperity and who will be the basis of this country's future wealth and employment creation - is an investment. They prefer, in spite of all the evidence, to see it in the same light as social welfare.

Now the IDA Chairman, launching the Annual Report, talks of "the one imperative to continue this job creation performance" - "to provide companies with a supply of people who have the range of skills, qualifications and training to enable [these companies] to fulfil their plans for growth and development".

We welcome the words of support.

The outgoing Minister for Enterprise and Employment, Mr Richard Bruton, emphasises in a press release, dated 24 June 1997, and entitled "Skills Shortages Addressed" "It is essential for the extra places to be provided for the Autumn".

The Minister is telling the Universities to have the required places for Autumn; and yet on today, 26 June, there is no Government decision to put in place the resources to hire one extra staff member, to create one extra square foot of space, or to put one extra piece of equipment to implement the wishes of Government.

The Universities need no more reports, no more pious statements of intent or of exhortation. The country needs action now. The Universities can, as they have in the past, produce the graduates who will sustain the economic well being of the country - but we must have the resources to do so; and now.

Failure to act swiftly will endanger the flow of inward investment, and further investment in industries already in Ireland. Hence, failure to act by the new Government endangers the job creation prospects for the future and Ireland's economic well being.