Brendan Kenneally (Waterford, Fianna Fail)
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Question 113: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the number of people in County Waterford to whom FÁS is providing training or other services. [28144/09]

Brendan Kenneally (Waterford, Fianna Fail)
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Question 114: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the number of people in Waterford who have received training or other services from FÁS to date in 2009 and separately in every other year over the past five years. [28145/09]

Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos.113 and 114 together.

It is not readily possible to provide a breakdown of numbers between Waterford City and County. The following table below shows the number of people in County Waterford, including Waterford City, who have received training or another service from FÁS over each of the past five years, and also in 2009 year-to-date.

Brendan Kenneally (Waterford, Fianna Fail)
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Question 115: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the number of people currently listed as professional apprentices; and the regional breakdown of these figures by county. [28147/09]

Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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There are currently 23,656 apprentices registered with FÁS. Of these 18,278 are currently employed and there is a cumulative total of 5,378 redundant apprentices in the period 1 January 2007 to 7 July 2009.

The further information requested by the Deputy is contained in the following tabular statement.

Brendan Kenneally (Waterford, Fianna Fail)
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Question 116: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the number of professional apprentices who have completed their apprenticeships every year for the past five years; the number who are expected to complete their apprenticeships in 2009; and the breakdown on these figures by county. [28148/09]

Billy Kelleher (Cork North Central, Fianna Fail)
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The information requested by the Deputy is contained in the following tabular statement.

Brendan Kenneally (Waterford, Fianna Fail)
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Question 117: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the number of people who have had their professional apprenticeships halted after being let go during the past 12 months. [28149/09]

Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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The number of apprentices who have been notified to FÁS as redundant for the period 1 July, 2008, to 30 June, 2009, is 3,827.

FÁS has put in place a number of measures to assist apprentices who have been made redundant in progressing their apprenticeship. Over 4,000 places will be provided under the various measures outlined below.

·The Department of Social and Family Affairs immediately refers redundant apprentices to FÁS for assistance.

·Following this immediate referral, the FÁS Employment Services and FÁS Services to Business divisions work in collaboration to provide guidance and support in sourcing a new employer and in considering further options. Referred apprentices are provided with guidance in relation to preparation for a re-sit of their outstanding off-the-job modular assessments.

· FÁS has amended the scheduling rules for off-the-job training to permit redundant apprentices to progress to their next off-the-job training, at phase 2, phase 4 and phase 6, in accordance with the existing scheduling criteria. The number of apprentices who have been scheduled to off-the-job training at phase 2, phase 4 and phase 6 in 2008 was 619. The number of redundant apprentices provided with off-the-job training in the year to the end of June 2009 is 1507, and it is expected that up to a further 900 will be provided with off-the-job training phases before the end-year.

·FÁS introduced an Employer Based Redundant Apprentice Rotation Scheme to provide support for employers to provide on-the-job training for up to 500 redundant apprentices during 2009. This scheme assists them in taking on redundant apprentices when they have released their own apprentices to a scheduled phase 4 and phase 6 off-the-job training phase in the Institutes of Technology. There are currently 197 apprentices participating on the scheme and 49 apprentices have completed their period of rotation and their performance has been assessed. Employers will be requested during the June and September 2009 rotation periods to provide redundant apprentices with on-the-job training with assessments.

·Léargas has provided funding under the EU's Leonardo da Vinci programme to support the placement of 37 redundant apprentices with overseas employers to complete their phase 7 on-the-job training with assessments. Recently 19 redundant apprentices returned from Germany having completed a phase 7 placement with employers, and 12 apprentices are due to travel on 5 August 2009 for a placement in Germany. Léargas has recently provided additional funding to support the placement of an additional 60 apprentices with overseas employers.

·ESB Networks have agreed a programme with FÁS to provide on-the-job training to eligible redundant electrical apprentices at phase 5 and phase 7. This programme will provide up to 400 places over a period of 18 months and will be funded by ESB Networks. There are currently 100 previously redundant electrical apprentices in employment with ESB Networks, 25 redundant electrical apprentices have completed their off-the-job training with assessments and a further 75 redundant electrical apprentices will be provided with an opportunity to complete their on-the-job training before the end of December 2009.

·Redundant apprentices may also avail of existing specific skills training courses, which are trade related to enhance their employable skills. Redundant apprentices may also avail of the range of trade related night courses, which are available in FÁS Training Centres.

·The Institutes of Technology are providing 700 places per annum on an 11-week certified training programme for those redundant apprentices who have completed their phase 4 training but where an on or off-the-job training opportunity is not currently available for them. The programme is divided into Construction and Engineering streams and provides redundant apprentices with education and training support in a number of relevant trade's areas. The programme is expected to commence in September 2009.

· FÁS will be providing redundant apprentices in the autumn with an opportunity to undertake phase 7 assessments where an on-the-job assessment opportunity is not currently available.

·FÁS will also be providing in the autumn a facility for redundant apprentices who have reached the minimum qualifying standard in all phases 1-7 inclusive and who have not completed the minimum duration in employment as an apprentice to make an application for consideration under Recognition of Prior Learning for the Award of an Advanced Craft Certificate.