Donna McGettigan (Clare, Sinn Fein)

I hear the Minister on that but in my recent discussions with Connect, the trade union representing apprentices, I was told that there is great need for quality assurance in all areas of apprenticeships. This must be measured within the employment to ensure the apprenticeship is delivered properly and that the apprentice is given access to all areas of the curriculum which feature on the job. If SOLAS is responsible for employer registration, it should also be in responsible for ensuring that sanctions are imposed on those who fail to deliver a safe, fair and responsible framework of work for apprentices. We all know how important apprentices are. We all know that we need them when it comes to workers. When it comes to building for housing, we need apprentices. We also need to protect apprentices and make sure that they get through their apprenticeship in a fair and equitable way.

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