Pádraig O'Sullivan (Cork North Central, Fianna Fail)
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I also acknowledge the progressive steps that were taken in the budget. In fairness, the Minister was central to many of the big decisions that were made and I congratulate him on that.

I was with the Minister of State, Deputy Niall Collins, in the Dáil last night. The Minister of State was taking questions in the Chamber specifically about apprenticeships. We have had SOLAS in here a number of times over the past few years. At one stage, we were told that it hopes to have caught up with the most serious of the backlogs at some stage in 2025. Will the Minister clarify if we are still on track for that kind of trajectory or what does the trajectory look like in terms of the backlogs? In addition, could the Minister comment on the action plan for apprenticeships, which sets out a roadmap for a single national apprenticeship scheme? The Minister might comment on the progress in that regard.