Mr. Michael Hourihan:

The Deputy is asking about delivery as opposed to the competition. The model is reasonably straightforward. A figure is allocated for each apprenticeship class to the institutes of technology or technical universities.

That figure is processed and delivered through the HEA. It facilitates the equipment and the ongoing costs of delivering the block or course throughout the term.

To be clear on how apprenticeships are actually delivered, there are three 11-week windows for apprenticeship delivery. They run from September to December, from January to March and from April to June. All providers get an allocation of apprentice classes for those three periods. We get clarity on the numbers coming in approximately one month prior to the start date and we have to get all our cards in order and everything in place. The funding that comes in then goes directly into the financial engine of the institutions and is then pushed back out to the individual departments and sections that are delivering the apprenticeship block.