Ms Meadhbh Costello:

I thank the Deputy for her question. Briefly, on the apprenticeship issue, it is clear the backlog needs to be addressed particularly if we are to tackle some of the challenges businesses are facing in the economy. However, there is also a number of fundamental issues around apprenticeships, which we hope the new national action plan will address to engage employers in the apprenticeship system and, therefore, engage more apprenticeships. We need to address issues such as the cutting of the red tape, which sometimes prohibits employers engaging; making it cost friendly; and raising the profile of apprenticeships among employers for some who are not aware there are opportunities with respect to finance, accounting and cybersecurity.