Michael Collins (Cork South-West, Independent Ireland Party)

I welcome the recent announcement of funding of €339 million for craft apprenticeships for 2025. It is my understanding that this funding will be used to support the expansion of training places, the recruitment and retention of instructors, and the provision of more places, especially in trades needed for housing infrastructure, including, as the Minister of State said, plumbers and electricians. The recent documentary "Who's Building Ireland?" explored the construction industry and who is building the 300,000 new homes needed by 2030. There are 170,000 people working in the construction industry in Ireland. We need between 30,000 and 40,000 skilled workers to build these homes. How does the Minister of State propose to incentivise the fully trained craftspeople to remain in Ireland once they have finished their apprenticeships?

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