Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I agree with everything the Deputy said. I do not want this to drag on either. I obviously cannot be site-specific because of the process that needs to be gone through, but if I am asked whether I want to see apprenticeship provision in County Roscommon and want to help GRETB and SOLAS make that happen as a matter of urgency, I can say that I do. Right across the country, we are prioritising a massive increase in apprenticeship capacity. We just made an announcement in Dundalk today in relation to extra capacity for Dundalk Institute of Technology, DKIT to provide apprenticeships. That is an example from as recently as a few minutes ago. We are actively in the business of trying to grow our apprenticeship provision. We saw more apprentices complete first-time registration in this country last year than we did in any other year. Almost 9,000 new people put up their hand and said they wanted to be an apprentice. That means thousands more people to help us build our homes, retrofit our houses and meet some of our key targets.

The point the Deputy made about the regional piece is key. We have to make it as easy as possible for someone to become an apprentice, and we have to provide opportunities for businesses in the region to be able to access the supply of apprentices. That is why I am excited about the GRETB proposal. I will work very closely with the Deputy and his colleagues in Roscommon on the matter.

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