Maurice Quinlivan (Limerick City, Sinn Fein)
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443. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the sources of funding that will be used for investment in apprenticeship reform up to 2020. [26753/17]

Maurice Quinlivan (Limerick City, Sinn Fein)
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445. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the amount of funding set aside for development and capital costs to deliver 40 new apprenticeship programmes up to 2020. [26755/17]

Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 443 and 445 together.

In 2017, €98.7m has been allocated for apprenticeship training which represents a 40% increase on the 2016 spend of €69.6m. This funding is being made available from exchequer and national training fund resources. Future years' allocations will be determined through the normal budgetary process which takes account of competing demands and the overall availability of resources.

Development and equipment costs for new programmes approved to date for funding is set out in the attached table, along with, where available, per capita operational costs.  It should be noted that equipment and operational costs are only available for those new apprenticeships that have completed development and validation.  Costs for further programmes will be determined as they move through development and validation and as new programmes are identified through the second call for proposals.