Pat Buckley (Cork East, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Gabhaim buíochas leis an Leas-Cheann Comhairle and I thank the Minister of State for being here. This Topical Issue matter is exactly what it says on the tin. It is to discuss additional financial supports for people in the first two years of apprenticeships. I raise this matter because the first two years are the most crucial. I have been talking to many of the families involved, even as late as this evening when a gentlemen rang me whose query I will also raise. The family qualifies for a medical card because of their circumstances. One of the children is serving his time as an apprentice but the rate is so low that he feels, in the first instance, embarrassed that he cannot cope. He also feels he cannot be asking his parents for a sub, as we call it on the building sites, all the time.

In addition, there are no answers being provided. I made an inquiry today to see if it is possible to get a discretionary medical card in these circumstances because the cost of living is so high at the moment. Many of these apprentices start out on a very low rate and it is expensive for them to get to work. Years ago, people worked and did apprenticeships locally in their nearest town. I know one fellow who had to travel from Cork to be in Meath at 9.30 a.m. just to get his book stamped before coming back down to Cork. These are all added expenses.

We have a minimum wage but it does not apply to apprenticeships. The national minimum wage is €10.50 for those aged over 20, €8.40 for those aged 18 and €7.35 for those aged under 18. I picked out two rates of pay for apprentices, namely, construction and electrical, for which one would think there would be massive demand. For construction, the first-year rate for apprentices is €6.30 an hour and it is €9.47 an hour for the second year. That is not even the minimum wage rate for those aged over 20. In the electrical sector, the rate is €6.53 an hour for the first year and €9.97 for the second year, which is still below the national minimum wage. A national living wage of €13.80 or €13.85 has been called for. Is there is any possibility of addressing this issue because we are haemorrhaging young people at the moment?

To give my personal experience, in my own son’s class of 28, only three are still here. Four left two weeks ago. It is easier to head off to Canada and New Zealand, and some are even going to Dubai. This puts serious strain on the younger generation who are left behind and want to serve their time to get an apprenticeship and better themselves. It is so difficult to that in the first two years. I mentioned the possibility of providing discretionary medical cards. Can anything be done as regards providing a tool or meal allowance? I believe SOLAS only pays a travel allowance of €7. God only knows where people are going to or coming from when they are going back to school or college to serve their time.

I raise this issue because so many families are frustrated and feel they have been left on a ship without a rudder. They cannot give their children answers about how they can better themselves and survive. They are caught in a bind trying to convince their children to stay the course, serve their time and get a full apprenticeship. They tell them this will given them a better chance of improving their lives. That is the reason I am raising this issue. As I said, apprenticeships are becoming more and more popular. There is significant demand for them. We should all work together on this issue in the House. There is no reason we should not do so.

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