Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees
Wednesday, 18 October 2023
Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine
Challenges Facing the Fruit and Vegetable Industry: Discussion (Resumed)
Mr. Dermot Callaghan:
I might take the question on horticultural apprenticeships. They were launched in August of this year and, as of last Monday, there is an apprenticeship in landscaping, the class for which commenced with ten students. The other areas have to reach a critical mass before we can run them, so they are expected during the year. At the moment, the most important phase is that horticultural employers must register with SOLAS to become hosts for the apprenticeship programme, and that is being rolled out. The intake next year will increase as the PR develops in respect of the whole process, so it is-----