Michael Lowry (Tipperary, Independent)
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560. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if he will remove apprenticeship registration fees, with an estimated cost of €11.39 million, and increase income and allowances for apprentices to make apprenticeship education more accessible, as requested by an organisation (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37921/24]

Patrick O'Donovan (Limerick County, Fine Gael)
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Funding for the National Apprenticeship programme is determined through the annual Estimates process, led by the Department of Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform.

In advance of Budget 2025 on the 1st October, my department published the Funding the Future - An annual options paper on the cost of higher education 2024, on the 16th September, which can be found on Gov.ie.

This paper outlines the various measures possible to reduce the cost of education. This was done in order to facilitate public discussion about the various choices available to improve student supports. The body referenced had input into this document along with other stake holders at the options day held by my department in April of this year. These options are being taken into consideration in the context of Budget 2025 discussions.

In both Estimates 2023 and 2024, a 33% reduction in the student contribution was provided for apprentices registering in higher education. In each year, this measure cost €3.8 million and it was estimated that it benefitted over 11,000 apprentices.

Investment in apprenticeship to grow capacity in the system has been a priority for my Department. To that end, an additional €67 million was allocated for apprenticeship in Budget 2024, making the total 2024 apprenticeship allocation €298 million. This is an 83% increase when compared to the apprenticeship budget of €163 million in 2021, when the Action Plan for Apprenticeship 2021-2025 was published.

The Government’s continued investment reaffirms the strong commitment to enhancing and expanding the apprenticeship system.