Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

If we are looking at incentives, I do not think there should be a subsidy. When things went wrong in the construction sector after the crash came, the number of apprenticeships decreased from approximately 9,000 to approximately 1,000. The whole thing was wiped out overnight. We need to build a robust system in support of employers in order that they can continue to recruit apprentices, even in bad times. As we seek to build that infrastructure, perhaps we should look at how we can support capability and capacity-building within employers who participate in apprenticeship programmes. I do not think offering a subsidy is the route we should take in this regard. I think we should approach the issue raised by the Deputy by investing in a structure that will sustain us into the long term.

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