Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I was delighted we had the apprenticeship students in with us and I wish them well in the WorldSkills competition. I look forward to meeting them properly before they head off, hopefully, in October.

I am conscious that apprentices are not in any way immune or insulated from the real impact of the cost-of-living challenges faced by everyone. A National Apprenticeship Office has been established and much good work is under way to review how apprenticeships work, how off-the-job training is done and the improvements that could be made in this context. For the first time, we have the voices of apprentices at the table in this regard. This is important and, therefore, we will be happy to look at how we can support apprentices. However, the situation is not directly comparable with the SUSI system for several reasons. Students on the apprenticeship model are paid and earning as they go. There are also additional payments if students are travelling some distance and other similar aspects. In many ways, therefore, the earnings of students on apprenticeship programmes would well exceed what would be paid through SUSI. We would not wish to do something that could end up having an unintended consequence. How we support apprentices as a distinct group is a matter we can examine, though, and if the committee is asking us to do that, we can ask the National Apprenticeship Office to undertake this endeavour.