Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

First, we have never had more apprentice registrations than we saw in 2021. Registrations that year were the highest ever. That said, I appreciate the point the Deputy made. We obviously had the global pandemic but we are seeing a very significant acceleration of apprenticeships. The Deputy does not have to take my word for that. She can ask business groups around the country, the education and training boards, ETBs, with which she engages, the technological universities and the National Apprenticeship Office and they will confirm that there is real momentum behind increasing the numbers and also the composition of the numbers in terms of diversity. We are trying to diversify the apprenticeship population and there is a lot more work to be done on that in terms of gender. We are also trying to broaden the range of apprenticeships so they are not just seen as craft-related, although those are key, but in other areas as well.

I could not agree more with the Deputy in relation to public sector apprenticeships. From memory, we are at about 300 in the public sector but I will confirm that to the Deputy in writing. The plan sets a target of 750 public sector apprenticeships by 2025. To be quite frank, I am going to make a decision very shortly that if we cannot get there voluntarily, we will look at imposing a quota system to make sure everyone takes their fair share.

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