John Lahart (Dublin South West, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister and his officials for their service. Some of the questions I had intended to ask have been asked. The Minister mentioned apprenticeships, which has been a hobby horse of mine for several years. He needs to start not where he has done but rather engage in education. As I stated at another debate when representatives from the Construction Industry Federation appeared before the committee, this year, as always, there were hours of wall-to-wall coverage of leaving certificate results and of the Central Admissions Office process, whereas only three minutes were given to apprenticeships. The change has to start in school and it will take a while for it to spin off. We have to begin a process of valuing apprenticeships and putting them on an equal platform to a college education. That is a matter for another day but the Minister might bear it in mind.

On the control of the health budget, is the Minister aware of any budgets that had always been under the health Vote but that were transferred to the Vote of other Departments?