Rose Conway-Walsh (Mayo, Sinn Fein)
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151. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the percentage of apprentices that are allocated a training place that is at an education institute that is not the closest training location to where they live; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26790/22]

Rose Conway-Walsh (Mayo, Sinn Fein)
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152. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the average distance travelled by apprentices to attend off-the-job training; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26791/22]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 151 and 152 together.

My Departments officials have been in contact with SOLAS who have advised that they do not collate data on the questions posed. SOLAS is responsible for offering training places to apprentices. While efforts are made to offer training within reasonable distances of an apprentice’s geographical location, for some off the job training programmes, this is not always possible.

Craft apprentices are paid training allowances directly by Education and Training Boards during their three periods of off-the-job training. Training allowances are equivalent to the agreed rates set by the sector.

In addition to training allowances, craft apprentices attending phases of off-the-job training in an Education and Training Board (ETB) training centre, Institute of Technology or a Technological University, are entitled to make an application for either travel or accommodation allowances for the duration of the period of off-the-job training.

Apprentices are primarily employees and as such eligible apprentices are also entitled to access general employment supports such as the Working Family Payment and other relevant schemes.