Colm Burke (Cork North Central, Fine Gael)
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106. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if his Department plans to introduce additional funding for apprentices to support them to continue in their apprenticeships in view of the increase in the cost of living; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51687/22]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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Apprentices are primarily employees and all of the 66 available apprenticeships are undertaken under a contract of employment. For the majority of apprenticeships, the rate of pay is agreed between the apprentice and the employer with the employer paying the apprentice during both on-the-job and off-the-job training elements of the apprenticeship.

For the 25 craft apprenticeship programmes, the minimum rates of pay applying under the employment contract are either agreed within the relevant sector, or are set out in legally binding Sectoral Employment Orders recommended by the Labour Court. These minimum rates vary between occupations and sectors but in all cases craft apprenticeship rates are expressed as a proportion of the qualified rate, increasing yearly from 33% of the qualified rate in year one to 90% in year four.

Periods of off-the-job training are funded from the National Training Fund with payments of the agreed rate made directly to craft apprentices by the education and training boards during this time.

Training allowances for apprentices are calculated with reference to gross-wage norms payable in industry for the different trade sectors. The actual allowance received will generally be less as it is based on the net take home pay calculated based on the gross wage norm. The gross-wage norm is per week and the norm to be used will be determined by the industry in which the employer is engaged.

On that basis any review of those rates currently payable is a matter for negotiation and agreement under the appropriate industrial relations structures in place and it would not be appropriate for me to be involved in the determination of apprenticeship pay or training rates.

While attending off-the-job training, craft apprentices are paid a training allowance appropriate to their training phase. 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.

As part of Budget 2023 I announced a cost-of-living package for students, and investment in third level education for 2023. Included in this was a once-off reduction of up to 33% in the contribution fee for apprentices and additional funding for social inclusion measures in apprenticeship, such as a bursary for apprentices from under-represented groups.

As employees, apprentices who find themselves in difficulty are correspondingly entitled to access general employment supports through the social welfare system. I would also advise any apprentice to discuss the matter with their Authorised Officer who may be in a position to provide guidance .