Donna McGettigan (Clare, Sinn Fein)
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1666. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if there is any available information in relation to the cancellation of intake for apprenticeship phase 2 classes at certain specific SOLAS training centres due to the lack of funding; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30588/25]

James Lawless (Kildare North, Fianna Fail)
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SOLAS is the state agency responsible for the further education and training sector and allocates funding to ETBs to deliver apprenticeship programmes. My department has no role in the operational day-to-day running of Education and Training Boards (ETBs).

SOLAS are currently engaging with all ETBs on their 2025 apprenticeship funding and I am aware that through this process funding issues have been raised, and that SOLAS is engaging with ETBs to work through those issues and ensure that existing intakes for apprenticeship classes are not affected.

Government has significantly increased its investment in apprenticeship training by 84% since this department’s establishment - from €184 million in 2020 to €339 million in 2025. In Budget 2025, €77million additional funding was allocated to apprenticeship training. This represents the single largest investment in core apprenticeship funding since the formation of my department.