Jonathan O'Brien (Cork North Central, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

The Minister is trying to make a comparison between apprentices and students. There is a difference because apprentices must pay fees but they do not have access to the same services, such as the students' doctor and other facilities in institutes of technology, as students. This policy flies in the face of what the youth guarantee is trying to achieve. The youth guarantee is designed to maximise the number of young people entering the workforce yet this additional fee being placed on apprentices will make it more difficult for people. It is a minimum of €833, rising to a maximum of €1,433. Apprentices are in full-time employment and part of it involves off the job training but we are talking about some of the lowest paid members of the workforce.

It is a significant hardship on those apprentices so I ask the Minister of State to reconsider the proposal.

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