Niall Collins (Limerick County, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

On the query raised by the Chairman, much of what he has articulated is similar to what was raised by Deputy Conway-Walsh earlier. One of the issues we must be very conscious of as we address the backlog and which we have discussed with the off-the-job training providers is the maintenance of the standard and quality of the training and to also protect the integrity of the apprenticeship scheme. It is very important to maintain this context. Earlier in the year we provided €20 million of new money in capital expenditure to SOLAS and to the HEA to provide and facilitate an additional 4,000 places across the range of craft apprenticeships.

That is specifically aimed at addressing the needs of sectors, particularly the construction sector, as the Chair outlined. Committee members will be aware also of the significant targets we have within the apprenticeship action plan to increase our registration of apprenticeships to 10,000 per annum by 2025. That is a key action within the apprenticeship action plan. On addressing the backlog, the answer I gave earlier is our position on that. We are working with the training providers, the education and training boards, ETBs, the institutes of technology, and our technological universities. A plan is being developed to address that backlog over a 12- to 15-month period. This recognises that we have to protect the integrity of the quality of apprenticeships.