Nessa Cosgrove (Labour)

Cuirim fáilte roimh an Aire. I will talk briefly about apprenticeships. The Minister said in his opening address that it is great to see much more investment in apprenticeships and further education and training, in particular. I worked for a time in Mayo, Sligo and Leitrim Education and Training Board, MSLETB, in a training centre so I can see the level of support that students are getting.

My first Bill as a Senator relates to the inclusion of apprenticeships under the minimum wage. The Minister said in his opening address that there has been an uptake of 75% in apprenticeships since 2020. There has also been a drop-out rate of 20% in the past three years. A lot of this is due to on-the-job training. People are simply not able to afford to live.

Someone addressed the committee for further education and training recently. His name was Ben Friel. I heard him on the radio speaking about some of the difficulties that he is facing in having to pay for tools. He said it is especially difficult for apprentices, who have to pay for tools and take into account the cost of accommodation and the cost of living. In a wealthy country at the moment, someone starting off, being paid a wage, trying to live away from home, trying to include travel costs and having to buy their own tools while earning €7.76 per hour is not acceptable. I do not know how anyone is supposed to live. Many people are taking on a second job. I would love support when I bring forward the Bill in December. I hope it will get cross-party support. It is not a huge ask that apprenticeships are included, at the very least, in the national minimum wage. I would love to see us move to the living wage, but at this stage I hope we move to the national minimum wage.

I add my support to an ability to borrow for the technical universities. I know there is a shortage of accommodation in the Atlantic Technological University, ATU, in Sligo, as there is across the country. That institution has worked closely with Sligo County Council and has secured a site. All it needs is the money.