Eoghan Kenny (Cork North-Central, Labour)

I thank colleagues for their contributions on the amendment. As the Minister stated, everyone is in agreement. We need apprentices. My constituency colleague Deputy Gould is right, however, in that we actually cannot get apprentices. There are people who have contacted my office and said that something broke at home, that it has been two weeks and that they cannot get somebody out to fix it. They need a joiner, for example, but they cannot seem to get one. The evidence is there that there have been systemic issues either in the Department or in government for many years whereby people did not appreciate the role of apprenticeships. I hope a change is happening in that regard.

I welcome the fact that there has been a historic allocation for apprenticeships in budget 2026, but we need to continue to progress that. We cannot allow it just to be an historic amount of money that is being given. In the context of each budget, every year the Department must look at how apprenticeships can be promoted even more. Third level education and apprenticeships must be on the same level. That is a fact. We must not stigmatise apprenticeship. We must make that very clear to people. The way we will have to do this is make it clear to people who want to pursue apprenticeships that they will be paid well. That is the bottom line. What we do not want is big employers and companies that are making billions in profits taking on apprentices and paying them a pittance. What we want to see is a good day's pay for a good day's work. Anyone taking up any of the 78 apprenticeships currently in place wants that also.

We need a clear focus on apprenticeships. I understand the reasoning behind the amendment and how the Minister cannot support it, but we need a clear understanding that this Parliament must support all young people who wish to seek a future by means of pursing apprenticeships.

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