Mr. Fergal O'Brien:

The committee could usefully make some contribution to the debate on the training levy. Business is paying hundreds of millions of euro into the national training levy over which it has no input or influence in terms of allocation. That is something must be looked at, both in the context of funding for higher education and the challenges that are there. We saw the commitment in last year's budget to a funding model for higher education. The national training levy has to be part of that. It is time for a significant overhaul and an examination of the purpose of the national training levy and the governance around it in terms of how allocation decisions and budget decisions are made out of it.

As for whether there is a single item around the apprenticeships, we continue to be very involved with the Apprenticeship Council to support their implementation. We are getting the bids through from industry. It is a matter of getting out there and making them happen, and making sure we do not have any blockages in accreditation or governance of the apprenticeships that have been approved but for which in many cases we have not seen the rubber hit the road. Clearing blockages would probably be our main request.