Sir, – We have a housing and homeless crisis. Years of trying to solve this problem have yielded no solutions.
Among the many roadblocks is clearly a shortage of labour.
Could I suggest that all school leavers should be required to work in the building industry for a period after Leaving Cert?
This would have several other advantages. It would give some practical life skills to the students, give them time, in a workplace, to decide their own future, and fill the hole on the labour shortage gap. Those with physical challenges could do office work, like planning or designing, or getting the tea.
RM Block
Obviously, this move would require planning, the agreement of both parties concerned, and to some extent, the Department of Education, and maybe even other Government agencies, to make it work productivity.
However, in the crisis, anything is worth a try. – Yours, etc,
SHEILA DEEGAN,
Dublin 3.
