Mary Mitchell O'Connor (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I want to return to the issue of apprenticeships and put on the record that the number is growing. I will give some of the statistics on them. In 2018, there was a total of 5,468 registrations for apprenticeships, almost 5,000 of which were for the traditional craft apprenticeships and 590 were for the 25 new apprenticeships. I am sure the committee is aware that Mr. Martin McVicar spoke at the launch of the new original equipment manufacturing apprenticeship, which was launched by Ministers, Deputies McHugh and Humphreys. There were approximately 100 employers and businesses represented at it. New apprenticeships are coming on board. The new insurance practice apprenticeship is being run in IT Sligo. There are also industrial electrical engineering, polymer processing technology, manufacturing technology, manufacturing engineer and accounting technician apprenticeships, the latter being a traineeship run in my constituency which was launched by Deputy Jan O'Sullivan when she was Minister. There is also a commis chef apprenticeship which was established in response to the lack of commis chefs two years ago when businesses and restaurants were crying out for them. There are also chef de partie, sous chef and different financial services apprenticeships. There are also auctioneering and property services, logistics associate, laboratory technician and butcher apprenticeships. There is a myriad of them. Do not dismiss it because it is really important.