Robert Troy (Longford-Westmeath, Fianna Fail)
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347. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if he will clarify plans to shorten the timeframe for apprenticeship programmes (details supplied). [42212/24]

Patrick O'Donovan (Limerick County, Fine Gael)
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Craft apprenticeship takes 4 years to complete. My Department is initiating an review of the optimum craft apprenticeship training timelines within those 4 years.

Consortia-led apprenticeships take between 2-4 years to complete, depending on the programme.

My Department continues to oversee the implementation of the plan put in place by the National Apprenticeship Office in November 2023 to significantly increase apprenticeship capacity and reduce waiting times for training, responding to rising craft apprenticeship demand as a result of our buoyant economy.

In Budget 2024, €67 million was allocated to apprenticeship, on top of which my Department reprioritised a further €30 million on a temporary basis in order to address the apprenticeship backlog. This investment enabled the recruitment of 87 apprentice instructor staff, with 3 more offers in progress, and supported the significant expansion of apprenticeship provision in training facilities.

In 2024, SOLAS mandated the ETBs to deliver three intakes of apprenticeship delivery per workshop.

As a direct result of these actions, there has been a 34% increase in craft training capacity in ETBs so far in 2024, increasing from 5,600 places in December 2023 to over 7,500 currently.

I am pleased to say that the number of craft apprentices waiting 6 months or longer for phase 2 off-the-job training has more than halved since the implementation of the NAO plan - falling from 5,319 in October 2023 to 2,444 in September 2024.

In Budget 2025, I announced €77.4 million funding for apprenticeship, the single largest core investment into the apprenticeship system since the formation of my Department, demonstrating my priority to deliver enough training places for industry skills needs today and tomorrow and support this Government's targets in housing and retrofit.

Michael Moynihan (Cork North West, Fianna Fail)
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348. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the estimated full-year cost to the Exchequer of increasing the training grant per apprentice for employers to €5,000, €7,000 and €10,000. [42240/24]

Patrick O'Donovan (Limerick County, Fine Gael)
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The Apprenticeship Employer Grant provides financial support from the State to apprenticeship employers who employ apprentices on one of the 52 consortia-led apprenticeships which have been established since 2016. The grant is funded through the National Training Fund and came into effect on the 1^st of January, 2022.

Apprenticeship employers are eligible to receive a €2,000 grant annually for each registered apprentice. The grant is paid in arrears in two payments annually, with €1,000 payable in May-June and a further €1,000 in November-December.

In the last full year, 2023, just over 3,000 apprentices positions were eligible for the €2,000 grant and a total €5.4 million was paid out to employers. Based on these figures the table sets out the projected costs at the different rates set out in the question.

However, it should be noted that these figures are based on all eligible apprentices, but not all claims received resulted in a payment as some may have been rejected for a number of reasons, e.g. lack of a tax clearance. In addition, not all eligible employers would have submitted a claim.

This Government is committed to growing apprenticeship and my Department secured a significant investment of €77.4m into the apprenticeship system in Budget 2025. Of this, €5.9 million has been specifically allocated to the Consortia-led apprenticeships.

It remains a priority for my Department to maintain this momentum, to continue growing the apprenticeship system, and ensure that there are enough training places for current and future skills needs.