Willie Penrose (Longford-Westmeath, Labour)
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Question 85: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the eligibility for the FÁS redundant apprentice rotation scheme; if it is the case that redundant apprentices can apply for work rotation, and FÁS places these apprentices with eligible companies and will contribute €340 per week towards employment costs; the reason there is a condition contained therein, which means that a company is only eligible if it has not laid off an apprentice since January 2007, companies struggling to keep apprentices in employment are not eligible for assistance, and the apprentice must be made redundant before he or she can apply for rotation; if, in this context her attention has been drawn to the fact that the only company which has not laid off an apprentice in the past two years is the ESB; if she will ensure that all apprentices in these situations are given the opportunity of participation; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [6879/09]

Billy Kelleher (Cork North Central, Fianna Fail)
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The Tánaiste launched the Employer Based Redundant Apprentice Rotation Scheme on 29th December 2008. The scheme provides support to employers to provide on-the-job training to redundant apprentices while they have released their employed apprentice to a scheduled Phase 4 or Phase 6 off-the-job training phase in the Institutes of Technology. The Department of Enterprise Trade and Employment has allocated €4 million to the scheme to provide up to 500 on-the-job training places during 2009.

To be eligible for the Employer Based Redundant Apprentice Rotation Scheme, employers must not have made an apprentice redundant in the period since 1st January 2007. The number of employers who were eligible to participate in the scheme in January 2009 was 2,683 for the trades of Carpentry & Joinery, Electrical, Plumbing, Plastering and Brick & Stonelaying. Employers must make an application to FÁS for approval to participate in the scheme and FÁS will allocate a redundant apprentice for the relevant trade and phase based on the longest period recorded as redundant on the FÁS Statutory Register.

The scheme is employer based and the eligibility criteria included in the scheme is to ensure that employers who have demonstrated in the past a strong commitment to the apprentice in the completion of their apprenticeship would be supported by taking a redundant apprentice into their employment to enable the redundant apprentice to complete their on-the-job training with assessment. FÁS provides a contribution of €340 a week to the employer toward the employment costs. The scheme is not open to employed apprentices as it is purpose is to provide assistance to redundant apprentices.