Tom Brabazon (Dublin Bay North, Fianna Fail)
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1411. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the number of pipe fitting apprentices who registered their four-year apprenticeship in 2021; and the number that have completed their course, in tabular form. [48117/25]

James Lawless (Kildare North, Fianna Fail)
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In 2021, 98 apprentices were registered for the Pipefitting apprenticeship programme. Table 1 provides a breakdown of their registration dates.

Table 1: Pipefitting registrations in 2021 by month

A total of 98 apprentices were registered for the Pipefitting apprenticeship programme in 2021. As of September 9th, 2025, none have completed their training.

Apprentices are registered by their employers on a rolling basis throughout the year. Craft apprenticeships in Ireland require a minimum of 48 months of training. Therefore, apprentices who registered in 2021 would only be eligible to complete their training in 2025 at the earliest, assuming uninterrupted progression through all seven phases.

Of the 98 apprentices, 59 are currently listed as actively in training. The remaining 39 are considered inactive, having either paused their training, left the trade, or left employment. These figures represent a snapshot in time (September 2025) and are subject to change, as inactive apprentices may return to training.

Among the 59 active apprentices, the majority are nearing the final stages of their training. 52 apprentices are currently in Phase 5 or Phase 6, the last two stages before completion.

There are 7 phases in total in the craft apprenticeship structure.