Eoghan Kenny (Cork North-Central, Labour)
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149. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills his plan for a renewed action plan to succeed the Action Plan for Apprenticeship 2021-2025; if the new action plan will have a focus on apprenticeships through local authorities; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37311/25]

James Lawless (Kildare North, Fianna Fail)
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I look forward to engaging with stakeholders this year as my Department reviews the current Action Plan and develops a new five-year strategy for the apprenticeship system from 2026.Apprenticeship funding has grown significantly, with €77 million allocated in Budget 2025 bringing the total to €339 million, an 84% increase since 2020. This investment, alongside strong employer demand, supported 9,352 apprentice registrations in 2024, a 51% increase from 2019.

Seventeen new apprenticeship programmes have been launched since 2021, targeting key skills relevant to both the public and private sector such as civil engineering, wind turbine maintenance, digital marketing, and software development.

The Public Service Apprenticeship Plan, published in 2023, was a key deliverable under the current Action Plan. It calls on the public sector to lead by example in expanding apprenticeship opportunities. Sectoral representatives, including Local Government, have submitted workplans to increase apprentice registrations.

In June, my colleague, the Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation, and I updated Government on the Plan’s implementation.

While challenges remain, progress has been made and we are starting to see momentum build. Annual Local Government apprenticeship registrations rose from 11 in 2022 to 41 in 2024. Local Government forecasts 107 annual registrations in 2025, more than double the 2024 figure. This reflects the Plan’s impact and Local Government’s commitment to embedding apprenticeships.

To support this, my Department and DPER have launched employer engagement initiatives and published a Practical Guide.

A strong foundation is in place to grow apprenticeships across the public service. My priority under the next Action Plan is to continue to strengthen the apprenticeship system in how it meets skills needs of both the public and private sectors, and adapts to workforce challenges.