I acknowledge that in his previous portfolio as Minister before he became Taoiseach, he did some good work in the area of higher education and diverting people towards trades. The haulage and agriculture industries and many others, including hospitality, are desperately crying out for staff and people to work in them. The whole situation with work visas is too slow and cumbersome. We also need to have more apprenticeship programmes for lorry drivers and machine operators in agriculture and industry because they are badly needed. We need a whole-of-government approach because people are crying out for help. They are trying to survive in business and when the weather is fine and they need to work they are under a lot of pressure but they cannot do it without staff. Most of us have very good staff but we need a dedicated chain of employees who would come into those industries and make careers out of them. However, they need to be directed there from the schools, colleges and technological universities.

I fully agree. That is why when I was Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science - I thank the Deputy for his kind words - we set up a number of apprenticeships specifically in partnership with the haulage industry. We remain open for business in terms of doing more.

It is also why migrants are good in this country, because when we talk to the representatives of that sector, it very much relies on work permits and the like as well. It is about making sure we have a work permit system because immigrants bring positive benefits to so many sectors of the economy and society; I am sure Deputy McGrath would welcome that. It is also why we need an apprenticeship system that continues to work with industry.