Mairéad Farrell (Galway West, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

It is unfortunate that the Minister has left. When it comes to apprentices, we hear a lot of waffle in this Chamber, every time the topic is brought up. I am shocked that the Minister has left and is not here to discuss the real need for support for apprentices. Yesterday, we heard about a 33% reduction in apprenticeship fees. It is the exact same thing that was there last year. It does not actually make a difference for apprentices. This is despite the fact that we know apprentices are really struggling. Just today, an apprentice told me that he is earning €211 per week after more than a year of training. That is simply not good enough. Apprentices have spoken with their feet, with thousands of them leaving their apprenticeships and heading on a plane to Australia, instead of staying here and building the homes that we need and that they want to build. They are not being listened to.

The fact that the Minister left before I could mention any of the things apprentices have raised with me in the last 24 hours shows that again.

On students, I am absolutely shocked that the Government did not provide for a permanent reduction in student fees. For each of the last three years, we have had Ministers standing up to tell us that there will be a reduction in fees for students but that it is a once-off payment. There is no clarity as to what the Government will do in the long term as regards student fees. It is really and truthfully simply not good enough.

We are in crisis when it comes to student accommodation and what do we have? We have €100 million over three years. That does not show that the Government understands the crisis in student accommodation. We need affordable student accommodation and we need it now. We needed it yesterday and we needed a plan last year but, last year, there was nothing in the budget with regard to student accommodation. I am glad to hear it mentioned this year and that €100 million in capital is going into it but, over three years, that is simply not good enough. The Government needs to wake up to the reality of the situation for students. Students are dropping out because they have nowhere to live. Students are commuting long distances. What we have is a situation where students who can afford to pay for student accommodation have a bit of a college life but they also have a lot more time to study. This means that those students who are commuting because they cannot afford or get student accommodation cannot do the courses they want to do and are dropping out and are also not able to study and get the grades others can.

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