Cian O'Callaghan (Dublin Bay North, Social Democrats)
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563. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if he will reintroduce the apprenticeship incentivisation scheme to assist recruitment in the construction trades; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38722/24]

Patrick O'Donovan (Limerick County, Fine Gael)
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The Apprenticeship Incentivisation Scheme (AIS) was a measure implemented to assist apprentices due to the particular challenges caused by the Covid-19 pandemic. Similar to other Covid-19 measures, the AIS has ceased.

Under the Action Plan for Apprenticeship 2021 to 2025, all employers of apprentices receive financial support either through the direct payment of training allowances to craft apprentices during periods of off-the-job training or, in the case of Consortia-led apprenticeship, via the annual €2,000 training grant per apprentice provided to employers.

The employer grant extended financial support to all apprentice employers for the first time, responding to Key Deliverable 4 in my Department's Action Plan for Apprenticeship 2021-2025 seeking to address barriers to employer participation in the system and in particular through financial measures which improve the cost-benefit argument for employing apprentices.

This Government's priority is ensuring that the right supports are available to incentivise employers to participate in an apprenticeship system that delivers a highly skilled workforce to maintaining productivity, competitiveness and sustainable growth in the economy.