Sharon Keogan (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister of State for her attendance and her reply. This is a very important opportunity for local government and for the Minister, Deputy Harris, and his Department. I admire the work he and the Minister of State, Deputy Niall Collins, have been doing in their brand-new Department. There is always scope for improvement, however, including in respect of some of the issues I highlighted. I welcome the proposal for 750 public service apprenticeship registrations per annum by 2025. However, we are a long way from that, with only 55 in place at this time. I will come back to this issue every year to see how it is progressing and what opportunities are available for young apprentices within local authorities.