Fiona O'Loughlin (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister of State for his response. I certainly welcome the capital funding and the expansion that has been put in place. It concerns me when I hear that the top level data for the end of October shows that there are 4,937 apprentices waiting more than six months for their off-the-job training. This is a huge issue. Planning is essential for everybody. Young people who have taken on apprenticeships need to be able to plan accommodation for whichever college they will attend for their off-the-job training. In some instances, they may need to be able to save to buy a car because they will not be able to get accommodation. That is a real concern.

It is very heartening to see the number of apprenticeships being taken up and we are starting to see the parity of esteem that is needed between academia and apprenticeships. I would like to send a very strong message to both Ministers that this needs to be resolved as soon as possible.