Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I could not agree more with the Deputy. The Government is going to do two specific things. We are allocating the €20 million to provide extra supports, and if we need to do more we will do it. We have given it to the HEA and to SOLAS and they are examining what practical measures they can put in place to reduce the backlog. Second, and importantly, we have prioritised getting the apprentices back to their practical face-to-face provision. That is in place since last month.

As regards the technological university for the south east, I thank the Deputy for her support for this project. I am delighted to tell her that, before I came to the Chamber this evening, I wrote to the HEA about the appointment of the international independent panel, the advisory panel. That is the next solid step. I am not pre-empting that but, subject to things going well, we will deliver on the date and get the doors of the technological university for the south east open on 1 January 2022. It will be a major day for Carlow and the south east. We will keep talking about Carlow College as well, and I know we have work to do on that.

Apprenticeships are very much at the core of the Government's education policy and the economic recovery policy. We want to do five things. We want to get more apprentices - 10,000 each year by 2025. We want to ensure there are more diverse people involved in apprenticeships, especially more women. We want to make sure there is a broader range of apprenticeships. I am delighted with the roll-out of a new apprenticeship programme in hairdressing, for example, in recent weeks. There are 17 more apprenticeship programmes in the pipeline. We want the public sector not to just lecture people but to step up and play its part. We want it to hire 750 apprentices every year by 2025. Every county council, State agency and Department has a role to play. We also realise we cannot deliver on this agenda without businesses, so we want to provide more supports for businesses, including financial supports.

The Government is prioritising apprenticeships and will continue to do so. We must end the narrow, elitist and sometimes, sadly, snobby attitude we have to third level education in this country. We must recognise everybody learns in different ways. There is no right way or wrong way, just many different ways. Apprenticeships will be at the core of that.

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