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

On rates of pay to apprentices, fundamentally, the apprenticeship relationship is employer-employee. The rates are in many instances set by sectoral agreements within the different sectors. Obviously, there are supports there for apprentices when they go on their off-the-job training, similar to many other students. We do not have a direct input on the rates of pay. It is a national social partnership exercise.

The Deputy asked about the backlog. At the end of December 2023, the backlog stood at 4,018. That was 3,919 at phase 2 and 99 at phases 4 and 6. In terms of reducing the backlog, in August of 2023, the waiting list was 7,578 of which the backlog was 5,257. By December of 2023, the total waiting list was 8,503 and the backlog had fallen to 4,018. I would have outlined previously at committee the actions we have taken. We have taken a number of actions, which will continue, and we have other actions we are going to deliver in 2024 to reduce the backlog. We are increasing the capacity of our education and training boards to provide a total of 9,106 places in 2024 as well as temporary and emergency delivery of 608 phase 2 places through higher education institutions and the subcontracting of 96 training places to colleges in Northern Ireland. Partnership with employers who have in-house training facilities is also going to be utilised on a temporary basis for 114 places. Basically, a huge focus has been put on trying to eliminate the list. We are pretty confident. We are making inroads into it. I have quoted for the Deputy how the backlog has fallen. We are pretty confident that the other measures I outlined to increase capacity will eliminate the list.