Tom Neville (Limerick County, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the witnesses for coming in today. It is not an interrogation or anything like that; it is just for us to understand what is like at the coalface. I worked in the hospitality sector for ten years so I empathise with what Mr. Power says about being mentally burned out. It is very difficult after a period of time.

I would like the two witnesses to educate me on the process they went through. If somebody like them was thinking about going for an apprenticeship, while they have highlighted all the positives, are there any challenges that they found? Before they started, were there psychological barriers which made them question whether they should do it or not? Was there anything they felt uncomfortable about? It is often those softer things that we cannot pinpoint on paper that block people from taking the plunge.