Peadar Tóibín (Meath West, Sinn Fein)
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479. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the number of apprenticeships that have been created within the construction industry for each of the past ten years by sector; the plans she has to create sufficient apprenticeships to meet the demand in the sector for qualified skilled craft workers. [48845/14]

Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick City, Labour)
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SOLAS have the figures requested by the Deputy for apprenticeships within the construction industry for the past ten years by sector and I have asked them to send these figures directly to the Deputy.

In terms of creating sufficient apprenticeships to meet demand, new apprenticeship registrations in 2014 are up 47% on 2013 for the first nine months of the year. A Review of standards of the first 5 trades (Electrical, Plumbing, Carpentry & Joinery, Metal Fabrication and Heavy Vehicle Mechanic) has been completed by SOLAS and will now be considered by QQI through its processes. Two new trades have been launched, Pipe Fitting and Stone Cutting & Stonemasonry.

It should also be noted that following on from the recent Review of Apprenticeship, an Implementation Plan was published by my Department on the 30th June 2014. As part of this plan a new Apprenticeship Council was recently established. The Council is enterprise-led and has representatives from business, trade unions, and further and higher education bodies. The first job of work of the Apprenticeship Council will be to develop and manage a call for proposals from industry for new apprenticeships. It will then evaluate and submit proposals to me in this regard.