Maeve O'Connell (Dublin Rathdown, Fine Gael)
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580. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the number of phase 2 off-the-job training places available for craft apprentices; and if the number of places has increased or decreased over the past two years. [31717/25]

James Lawless (Kildare North, Fianna Fail)
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Government remains committed to increasing the profile of apprenticeships and to achieve 12,500 apprenticeship registrations by 2030 with two-thirds in craft/construction.

Significant investment has been made into growing the apprenticeship system, including €67 million in Budget 2024 and €77 million in Budget 2025, with the latter figure representing the single biggest increase in core funding for apprenticeships since the establishment of my department.

This increase in funding has supported a 39% increase in craft training places within Education and Training Boards, growing from 5,600 at the end of 2023 to approximately 7,800 in 2025.

The expanded training capacity has facilitated a 51% rise in annual apprenticeship programme registrations, from 6,177 in 2019 to 9,352 in 2024. Specifically, craft apprenticeship registrations have surged by 35%, from 5,271 in 2019 to 7,113 in 2024. Additionally, consortia-led registrations have seen a 147% increase, from 906 in 2019 to 2,239 in 2024.

Government is committed to ensuring that the apprenticeship system is well-equipped to meet the current and future skills needs of our economy.