Pádraig O'Sullivan (Cork North Central, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

As for productivity in construction sector I do not think there will be a shortage of demand there. I think it was in the 2021 to 2022 figures that there was a slight drop of 300 apprenticeships nationally. I suppose I have a straight question, how does the Minister account for that? Going forward into this year does he envisage that the figure will improve on that and make amends for that? Regarding retrofitting, it is very frustrating for public representatives that when we do refer people to the Sustainable Energy Authority Of Ireland, SEAI, programme we are told there are waiting lists of two and maybe three years in some cases. This is something that needs to be addressed urgently. The more and more apprentices that we can get into the system the better. It is through the Minister's own good office but I believe , and I hate to use the word snobbery, but we have successfully started to break down those barriers of the traditional educational snobbery when it came to viewing apprenticeships as a way of life . I would like the Minister to continue his good work of challenging those preconceptions when he is out and about in third level institutions.

See this speech in context