There is such a massive increase in the technological industry in Ireland recently that it is becoming more and more difficult for companies to get the young, highly skilled workforce which is one of the attractions for them in this country. Professor Michael Hillery , of the Department of Manufacturing Engineering at the University of Limerick, said yesterday that new companies are "pirating away skilled people from existing firms by offering them even more attractive salaries".

At the moment, he said, there is an amber light showing, for the number of people coming out of third-level institutions is just about or almost meeting the present demands. That, he said, will have serious repercussions, probably in about two years' time. If the growth continues and the decline in the number of people taking engineering and technological subjects continues, he said there would a massive shortage of people and that could bring a stop to the development of industry as we see it today. The problem was compounded by fewer young people taking physics and chemistry at Leaving Cert level.

Professor Hillery suggested a change in the points system which would give more points for technical and scientific subjects for those who opt at post-Leaving Cert to take technological subjects at university and Institute of technology level.

Professor Hillery was speaking at the unveiling by the Tanaiste, Ms Harney, of a new £350,000 training centre for students and industry at the university, which has been funded by the German multi-national company, Festo.