Michael Healy-Rae (Kerry South, Independent)
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203. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills his views on correspondence (details supplied) regarding apprentices being charged college fees for block release; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50543/13]

Ciarán Cannon (Galway East, Fine Gael)
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The Annual Student Contribution is levied on students attending Institutes of Technology. The amount due by apprentices is calculated on a pro rata basis of the time which they spend in Institutes of Technology during the academic year. This is typically one third of the Annual Student Contribution (€2,500 for academic year 2013/2014) paid by students attending for the full academic year but it can be greater for certain trades where longer periods are spent in Institutes of Technology.

Since 2004, FÁS/SOLAS has paid a part of the Annual Student Contribution due in respect of apprentices, with apprentices themselves paying the part of the contribution relating to examination fees. As part of Budget 2014, SOLAS will cease making payments to Institutes of Technology and apprentices will pay the pro rata Annual Student Contribution. Apprentices are paid a training allowances by SOLAS for phases of their training spent in Institutes of Technology. This allowance is equivalent to the wages they receive from their employers for on the job phases and this is unaffected by the budgetary changes.