Finian McGrath (Dublin North Central, Independent)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 183: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the position in relation to a matter (details supplied). [39294/08]

Mary Coughlan (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

I am very conscious of the need to try to accommodate apprentices who have been made redundant in advance of the completion of their apprenticeships. Last month's Budget announcement provided an additional €9.5 million to FÁS to enable them to provide employment support services to those who have lost their jobs, including redundant apprentices. This additional allocation will allow FÁS to develop a further initiative to assist redundant apprentices complete their courses.

To date both my Department and FÁS have put in place a series of initiatives to facilitate redundant apprentices complete their apprenticeship. These include the following: through their Employment Services Division, FÁS are focusing on assisting redundant apprentices to source employment, so that they can complete their apprenticeship by receiving the appropriate on-the-job training and undertaking the associated competence-based assessments, FÁS now allow apprentices who are made redundant to progress to their next off-the-job training phase of their apprenticeship, without having to do the next on-the-job phase first, FÁS have put into place a register of redundant apprentices in order to identify them at the earliest possible point in time and prioritised the need to locate an employer to sponsor the completion of the "off-the-job" training for apprentices and FÁS will not allow employers who make an apprentice redundant to subsequently recruit another apprentice in the same trade before the apprenticeship period of the redundant apprentice has expired.