Ruairí Ó Murchú (Louth, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

We all know there have been major backlogs in the apprenticeship system. We all know of the necessity of apprenticeships across the board and particularly craft apprenticeships. It is not uncommon for apprentices wait for up to 18 months to be called for the relevant phase of their off-the-job training, whether in a technical university, TU, or education and training board, ETB. There has been an enormous level of criticism of the Government for this particular issue. We have seen high dropout rates. The backlog means that apprentices are being paid less for longer, as their rate of pay is tied to the relevant phase of training.

The Minister of State has said that the plan was for 134 places. Some 87 of those have been filled, with three in play and the rest to follow. Will the Minister of State give me a timeline in that regard? We need to ensure we have these people in place so we can get through the backlog that exists. We must ensure that these apprentices are paid what they deserve and enter the workforce to do the necessary work, particularly in construction.

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