Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I give the Deputy my word that I will keep a very close eye on this and take an active interest in providing apprenticeship places in Roscommon, working with the Deputy and Oireachtas colleagues. The Deputy is correct when he talks about mechanics. I was out recently at an event. The AA has an upskilling and reskilling workshop because the mechanic of today needs a very different skill set tomorrow. I think last year we saw more new electric vehicles, EVs, purchased than new petrol or diesel cars. That means the mechanic of today is going to start seeing more and more EVs coming in. It is a very different skill set. The level of upskilling and reskilling that we have to do, even among people currently working in trades, with modern methods of construction being another example, is very real.

I am really encouraged by the number of people taking up apprenticeships. We have seen a 63% increase in the number of new apprentices between 2020 and this year. We have seen more people take up the craft apprentices than we had targeted for. A record number of people are becoming apprentices, but we have to do more. We need more capacity and we need to bring a regional balance to it. I thank GRETB and the Deputy for their work on this. I will be asking for the business case to be brought to a conclusion as a matter of urgency.

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