Rose Conway-Walsh (Mayo, Sinn Fein)
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1165. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the range of travel and accommodation supports for both craft and post-2016 apprentices; the expenditure in this regard; the number of recipients; the average amount allocated; the criteria used for allocating support; the way in which it compares to the real cost of travel and accommodation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15716/21]

Rose Conway-Walsh (Mayo, Sinn Fein)
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1166. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the draw on the NTF or cost to the Exchequer of increasing funding allocated to travel and accommodation support for apprentices by 5%, 10%, 15% and 20%; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15717/21]

Niall Collins (Limerick County, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 1165 and 1166 together.

Craft apprentices attending off-the-job training in an ETB, IoT or TU are eligible for either accommodation or travel allowances, depending on the distance from the apprentices home to the site of off-the-job training.  These allowances are payable to relevant trainees on further education and training courses and are not exclusive to apprentices.The detailed information requested by the deputy is being collated and will be forwarded once available.

For apprentices registered on consortia-led programmes, the payment of travel and/or accommodation allowances is dependent on the apprentices contract with their employer.  There is no cost to the exchequer for these payments.

Rose Conway-Walsh (Mayo, Sinn Fein)
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1167. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the estimated cost of removing the annual student contribution for all apprentices; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15736/21]

Niall Collins (Limerick County, Fianna Fail)
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An Annual Student Contribution (ASC) is levied on all students attending Institutes of Technology (IoTs).  The amount of ASC charged to apprentices is calculated on a pro rata basis of the time which they spend in IoTs during the academic year. In cases where training is delivered in an Education and Training Board there is no contribution made by the apprentice.

For craft apprenticeships, the ASC charged is typically one third of the €3,000 ASC paid by students attending for the full academic year and so amounts to approximately €1,000 per apprentice per period spent in the IoT.  In the case of the new consortia led apprenticeships the contribution varies for each programme as their off-the-job training has a more flexible structure.  

If the ASC was removed, with the apprentice paying examination fees only, then the cost to the State is estimated at an average €266.67 per apprentice per annum.  Given the current apprentice population the estimated cost is €5.28M per annum.

Rose Conway-Walsh (Mayo, Sinn Fein)
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1170. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the expenditure on apprenticeships in 2020; the percentage of the national training fund allocated to apprenticeships; the estimated expenditure in 2021; the estimated percentage allocation of the national training fund of same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15763/21]

Niall Collins (Limerick County, Fianna Fail)
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Apprenticeship in Ireland is funded from the National Training Fund (NTF) which was established by the National Training Fund Act, 2000, as a dedicated fund to support the training of those in employment, and those seeking employment. It is funded through an employer levy of 1% of reckonable earnings in respect of employees in classes A and H employments, representing approximately 75 per cent of all insured employees. 

The total allocation from the NTF for the provision of apprenticeship for 2020 was €184.4m which amounts to 25% of total NTF expenditure.

The NTF allocation for apprenticeship in 2021 is €198.4 million amounting to 27% of total NTF expenditure.

Rose Conway-Walsh (Mayo, Sinn Fein)
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1172. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the number of apprentices that have been employed across the public sector in each of the years 2004 to 2011; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15818/21]

Niall Collins (Limerick County, Fianna Fail)
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The availability of the information requested in relation to the number of apprentices that have been employed across the public sector in each of the years 2004 to 2011 is currently being assessed by SOLAS and will be forwarded to the Deputy if available.

The Programme for Government has committed to taking the lead on boosting the availability and uptake of apprenticeship by providing public sector apprenticeship schemes. The forthcoming Action Plan for Apprenticeship will set out measures to widen employer engagement with apprenticeship in both the public and private sectors with the target of reaching 10,000 new apprentice registrations per annum by 2025. In addition to the Programme for Government commitment, the role of the public sector in apprenticeship recruitment was raised by a number of stakeholders during the consultation process and proposals in this area are informing the new action plan.