Rose Conway-Walsh (Mayo, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I do not think we can talk about apprentices without talking about the current state of apprentices and those who are in the system at the moment are experiencing. In our recent survey results, 84% of apprentices told us that they had to cut down on essentials such as buying groceries or turning the heat on. Some 72% said they had to take out debts in starting the apprenticeship. Some 96% felt that the Government was not doing enough to help them around the cost-of-living crisis. What plans are in place to look at the immediate cost-of-living crisis and the impact on apprentices to ensure that they stay within the system? It is fine that they are going into apprenticeships but we need them to stay there and thrive within it.

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