Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance)
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155. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if he has examined the likely impact on the imposition of fees for apprentices in view of the Government's stated aim of prioritising training and education in order to reduce unemployment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9149/14]

Ciarán Cannon (Galway East, Fine Gael)
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The Annual Student Contribution is levied on apprentices and students attending Institutes of Technology. This contribution has been levied by Institutes of Technology in respect of apprentices since 2004, with FÁS/SOLAS paying 70% of the contribution and apprentices themselves paying the remainder. As part of Budget 2014, SOLAS will cease making this payment to the Institutes of Technology and apprentices themselves will pay the full pro rata Annual Student Contribution. Apprentices will pay the same contribution as students, apportioned for the time they spend in the Institutes. Unlike students, apprentices are paid a training allowance 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 is unaffected by the budgetary changes. "I am confident that the introduction of the direct payment by apprentices of the Annual Student Contribution will have no effect on completion rates. Apprentices, who are in receipt of allowances and have invested time and effort to reach phase 4 and 6 of their apprenticeships, see the value of the apprenticeship programme they are on and will remain to completion."