Mr. Andrew Brownlee:

I freely admit that is our biggest challenge and the number one priority for us. The waiting list problem essentially occurred because we had to close the training centres for nine of the first 15 months of the pandemic. That led to a significant build-up of people waiting to do their after-job apprenticeship training. At one stage we had 12,000 on the waiting list. Now, by investing in more workshops, recruiting more instructors and working with SIPTU and other unions to get most of our training centres to move to a three-intake model - three intakes of apprentices during the year rather than two - we have got that figure down to about 7,000 but there is still a good bit to go and that has resulted in the circumstances the Deputy set out.

There is a plan in place. We increased capacity from 4,000 phase 2 places to 5,600 last year. We are hoping to take that to 8,000 this year. We are having difficulty recruiting instructors because the construction industry job market is so vibrant. We are opening new workshops. We have set up electrical hubs in three specific areas to focus just on the electrical backlog. We are also working with the union because that three-intake model was done on the basis of goodwill when we were in an emergency Covid situation. We are effectively going to work harder and deliver three intakes a year to help reduce these backlogs and help our apprentices who are the most important people in all this. We need to maintain that three-intake model. Discussions are ongoing with the unions to try to ensure that continues.