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

I will clarify a point because I may have misspoken earlier. The number of training places has grown by 40% since the end of 2023, from over 5,600 places in December 2023 to 7,500 places in August 2024. As I previously said to the Deputy, over 130 instructor posts have been sanctioned to date. As I said, 80 such posts have been filled. The Deputy asked for a timeline. The remaining posts will be advertised across the end of this year and into next year.

The Deputy also referenced the backlog. We can provide a table to the Deputy. The number of apprentices waiting six months or longer at phase 2 in July 2023 was 6,166. In August 2024, the number had fallen to 2,484.

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