Mr. Tom Grady:

I thank the Senator for the question. Apprenticeship is unique in that unlike many other education and training interventions, there is a contract between an employer and the apprentice. There is an onus on that relationship to decide what the pay rate is. When the apprentice is off the job and in training, the rates are agreed across the system. As members are probably aware, and as Mr. Brownlee mentioned, within the phases 2, 4 and 6, the payments or the allowance the apprentices receive increases as they pass through the apprenticeship. These vary with different craft apprenticeships but, for example, it is around €350 per week at phase 2, approximately €460 a week at phase 4, and €660 or €670 on average at phase 7. If I recall correctly, that is for electrical apprenticeships. Those are approximate figures but fairly close, and they do vary slightly from craft type to craft type. Those are agreed wages but sometimes it might be possible that employers would not stick to them. These are, however, the recommended rates and the onus in the overall system is that they should be stuck to and agreed. The rates are reviewed regularly. I believe they were reviewed as recently as January, if I am not mistaken.