John Connolly (Galway West, Fianna Fail)

I thank the witnesses. My apologies; I had to leave momentarily. I have read the statements and got to hear most of them. On expanding and developing the programme, there are two issues Ms Costello said were of concern. One is improving the time it takes to develop and launch new apprenticeships. Will she expand on that? What is the issue? The second was clarifying roles and responsibilities within the system. Going back to what Deputy Smith asked about the personnel in ETBs who are available to help and work with apprenticeships and promote the programme, the ETBs told us earlier in the year they do not have the staff resources for observing the terms and conditions of the apprentice in the workplace. I would not say there was concern about that but there was an inference that there could be things going on that they are not aware of. It would be good to dispel that. I am sure it is easy to do. Will Ms Costello comment on that? I think Deputy Smith was getting at this as well. I am not fully familiar with the term "consortia employers". I imagine it is something to do with shared apprenticeship programmes. Will Ms Costello provide a further explanation?

I think Mr. Talbot referred in his opening statement to the challenge there is and the desire to increase the diversity of people participating in apprenticeship programmes and for greater inclusion. Does he have any knowledge or experience of the Traveller apprenticeship incentivisation programme? We had a presentation last week at the Committee on Key Issues Affecting the Traveller Community from the Irish Traveller Movement on that programme. A possible concern is low uptake, whereby members of the Travelling community are eager to participate in an apprenticeship programme but they find employers are not aware of it or are not engaged to the degree they and we would all like. Does any of the witnesses have experience around that?

I presumably inaccurately made a presumption when I was coming in that the main focus of the contribution would be on the need for the Government to provide further funding to employers to incentivise participation in the apprenticeship programme. I am not hearing that very loudly, which is welcome. I think I get the message on further expending the National Training Fund but I think it is in a more general sense that the witnesses are looking for that expenditure. Mr. Talbot in particular spoke about the use of funding for increasing awareness, accessibility and visibility of the apprenticeship programme. That is very welcome. It is a good suggestion. I hope it will be in the apprenticeship strategy.