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

I recognise and acknowledge the concerns raised by the Deputies. Suffice it to say the eye was not taken off the ball on this. It has been a continual focus within our Department. At the same time, we have to protect the quality of training provided and we had to build capacity to deal with the backlog. The backlog has dropped since 2021 from in excess of 11,000 to approximately 7,500. The will and resources are there to eliminate that backlog by the end of next year. It is a high priority for us. We, of course, recognise it but we have to engage with the stakeholders who provide the training, their staff and the representative organisations of the staff. We cannot flick a switch and double or triple capacity. There has to be a consultation process to ensure the quality of training provided to apprentices meets the required standard.

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