Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick City, Labour) | Oireachtas source

This is a really important section, providing for the whole area of apprenticeships, springboard and all the various opportunities for young people to find positive careers. I also welcome the growing number of apprenticeships in general and of female apprentices in particular, as Deputy Catherine Martin mentioned. The Apprenticeship Council has been rolling out new types of apprenticeships in conjunction with industry and higher and further education. Are there any more new programmes to come? Are more planned for this year? I refer particularly to the tourism sector, where there is still a lot of reliance on people coming in from outside to work in the sector. I know there are apprenticeships in that area and that there are also some very good training programmes. I am aware of one in my own constituency, provided by the Limerick Enterprise Development Partnership, LEDP, which is run through the ETB. It is a relatively short training programme that does an excellent job and gives young people really good opportunities to work. I want to ask the Minister about the growth of that whole area. It really is very positive.

Deputy Catherine Martin asked about funding from the European Social Fund, ESF. There was a Supplementary Estimate because the figures were submitted in November for the ESF co-funding. Was that money received subsequently?