Roderic O'Gorman (Dublin West, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

Yes. On the specific question of a higher rate for social workers in Dublin, this is not a proposal that has come to me to date. Turning to the issue of alternative pathways towards a career in social work, one of the things being examined by ourselves and Tusla now is the possibility of having an apprenticeship model for qualification as a social worker. There is a bit to go in this process yet, but both sides are certainly very open to this model because it recognises that the purely academic route is a challenge for some people. This is the case for some candidates who potentially would have many of the key skills we need to see in those working as social workers.