Jonathan O'Brien (Cork North Central, Sinn Fein)
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125. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills when he will reverse the decision to charge fees of up to €1433 to low-earning apprentices for the college part of their courses; and if his attention has been drawn to the hardship this is causing. [2681/14]

Jonathan O'Brien (Cork North Central, Sinn Fein)
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The question is straightforward and I await the Minister's reply.

Ciarán Cannon (Galway East, Fine Gael)
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The annual student contribution is levied on apprentices and students attending institutes of technology. This contribution has been levied by institutes of technology in respect of apprentices since 2004, with FÁS - and now SOLAS - paying 70% of the contribution and apprentices themselves paying the remainder. As part of budget 2014, SOLAS will cease making this payment to the institutes of technology and apprentices themselves will pay the full pro rata annual student contribution, rather than 30%.

The charge is €833 for the vast majority of apprentices scheduled on an off the job phase in an institute of technology in the academic year 2013-14 but is more than this for a small number of apprentices attending phases that are longer than the typical ten to 11 weeks. Apprentices will pay the same contribution as students, apportioned for the time they spend in the institutes. Unlike students, apprentices are paid a training allowances by SOLAS for phases of their training spent in institutes of technology. The allowance is equivalent to the wages they receive from their employers for on the job phases and is unaffected by the budgetary changes. Although apprentices are not eligible to receive student grants, the value of their training allowance would be greater than the maintenance available under the student grant scheme. This decision was taken against a difficult budgetary background and there is no scope to revisit it.

Jonathan O'Brien (Cork North Central, Sinn Fein)
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The Minister is trying to make a comparison between apprentices and students. There is a difference because apprentices must pay fees but they do not have access to the same services, such as the students' doctor and other facilities in institutes of technology, as students. This policy flies in the face of what the youth guarantee is trying to achieve. The youth guarantee is designed to maximise the number of young people entering the workforce yet this additional fee being placed on apprentices will make it more difficult for people. It is a minimum of €833, rising to a maximum of €1,433. Apprentices are in full-time employment and part of it involves off the job training but we are talking about some of the lowest paid members of the workforce.

It is a significant hardship on those apprentices so I ask the Minister of State to reconsider the proposal.

Ciarán Cannon (Galway East, Fine Gael)
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There has been a precedent for this and it was never a case that the total fee was paid for the apprentices, as they always paid 30%. They were familiar with the concept of paying for at least some of the costs of attending institutes of technology. Comparing the typical allowance for an apprentice while completing the institute of technology phase, it ranges from €293 to €647 per week, depending on the trade involved and the phase of the apprenticeship. That compares with a standard student maintenance grant of €31 per week. I do not agree that this will act in any way as a disincentive to people taking up apprenticeship models, and the model we have in this country has been quite successful. The qualification received by apprentices is of a very high quality and it is of use not alone in Ireland but across the world. We have seen how we excel year after year in our world skills competition. Apprentices are receiving a very high quality qualification and I do not agree that this imposition will somehow act as a disincentive to engage in the process.

Jonathan O'Brien (Cork North Central, Sinn Fein)
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The Minister of State may not agree with me but Ms Emer Costello, a party colleague of the Minister, Deputy Quinn, certainly agrees with me. She recently attended a launch of the TEEU union relating to a campaign to get this measure reversed. During the launch she described this as "ill-conceived" and a "retrograde step", and she questioned the timing of it, given that we are awaiting a report on the future model of apprentices in the State. There is large-scale disquiet out there. Mr. Eamon Devoy, general secretary of the TEEU, has stated that he requested a meeting with Department officials and the Minister. I do not know if he was referring to the Minister, Deputy Quinn, or the Minister of State, Deputy Cannon, so perhaps that could be clarified? He has not yet been granted the meeting but the union wants to sit down and discuss the issue. Mr. Devoy has gone on record to say this is a matter which could lead to industrial action. The matter needs to be proactively addressed, so has the request for a meeting been made by the general secretary of the TEEU? If it has, why has the Minister refused to meet the union on the issue?

Ciarán Cannon (Galway East, Fine Gael)
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I am not aware if such a request has been received but if it has, I would be more than happy to meet Mr. Devoy and discuss the concerns of the union. It would never be an intention to disincentivise people from engaging in the apprenticeship process and it will play a very large role in securing the economic future of our country. As the Deputy pointed out, the review has been under way and we will shortly publish the outcome of the review before extending the apprenticeship model into far wider areas than that to which it is currently associated. The supports available to people engaging in apprenticeships while they undertake the institute of technology phase are adequate at this time. As our country's economic recovery gets under way, we would be open to revisiting the decision at some point in future. As my colleague pointed out earlier, with the constraints imposed on us currently in terms of departmental expenditure, we have had to make some difficult decisions. This is one decision and perhaps we may be able to revisit it at a future time.