Niall Collins (Limerick County, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank Deputy Buckley for raising this matter which is a very important for our Department.

Apprentices are primarily employees and all of the 66 available apprenticeships are undertaken under a contract of employment. For the majority of apprenticeships, the rate of pay is agreed between the apprentice and the employer, with the employer paying the apprentice during both on-the-job and off-the-job training elements of the apprenticeship.

For the 25 craft apprenticeship programmes, the minimum rates of pay applying under the employment contract are either agreed within the relevant sector or are set out in a legally binding sectoral employment order recommended by the Labour Court. These minimum rates vary between occupations and sectors but in all cases craft apprenticeship rates are expressed as a proportion of the qualified rate, increasing yearly from 33% of the qualified rate in year one to 90% in year 4.

Periods of off-the-job training are funded from the National Training Fund with payments of the agreed rate made directly to craft apprentices by the education and training boards during this time.

These training allowances are calculated with reference to gross wage norms payable in industry for the different trade sectors. The actual allowance received will generally be less as it is based on the net take-home pay calculated based on the gross wage norm. The gross wage norm is per week and the norm to be used is determined by the industry in which the employer is engaged. On that basis, any review of those rates currently payable is a matter for negotiation and agreement under the appropriate industrial relations structures in place and it would not be appropriate for me to be involved in the determination of apprenticeship pay or training rates.

While attending off-the-job training, craft apprentices are paid a training allowance appropriate to their training phase. In addition to training allowances, craft apprentices attending phases of off-the-job training in an education and training board, ETB, training centre, institute of technology, or technological university can apply for either travel or accommodation allowances for the duration of their off-the-job training.

Budget 2023 included a cost-of-living package for students and investment in third level education for 2023. Included in this was a once-off reduction of 33% to the student contribution fee paid by apprentices and additional funding for social inclusion measures in apprenticeships, such as a bursary for apprentices from the under-represented groups.

As employees, apprentices who find themselves in difficulty are correspondingly entitled to access general employment supports through the social welfare system. I also advise apprentices to discuss the matter with their authorised officer who may be in a position to provide advice and guidance.

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