Pádraig O'Sullivan (Cork North Central, Fianna Fail)
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107. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the number of apprenticeship programmes experiencing delays in arranging off-the-job training in education centres; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2068/24]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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All apprentices participating on the 25 craft apprenticeship programmes experience some delays between the completion of phase 1 (on-the-job training) and scheduling for phase 2 (off-the-job training) of their apprenticeship programme. However, where those delays exceed 6-months, it is considered to be in excess of the norm, and what has been referred to as 'the backlog', since the interruptions caused by Covid.

The highest numbers of apprentices experiencing excess delays are in programmes such as electrical (2216), plumbing (465), carpentry & joinery (301), heavy vehicle mechanics (169), and metal fabrication (145).