Robert O'Donoghue (Dublin Fingal West, Labour)
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2125. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the number of apprentices registered each year from 2020 to 2024, by sector or industry, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [58649/25]

James Lawless (Kildare North, Fianna Fail)
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The Government remains firmly committed to apprenticeships and has significantly expanded opportunities for learners in recent years, recognising their vital role in equipping Ireland’s workforce with the skills needed to meet national priorities, including infrastructure delivery.

In Budget 2026, I secured an additional €79 million investment in apprenticeship delivery - the largest since the formation of this Department. This investment will directly support the expansion of the craft apprenticeship system and support key trades such as plumbing and electrical, which are essential to delivering the National Development Plan 2025. This new investment brings the total current budget for apprenticeship delivery to over €410 million. This represents a significant increase of over 120% in apprenticeship funding since 2020.

Supported by this investment, annual apprenticeship registrations have grown strongly in recent years from 5,326 in 2020 to 9,352 in 2024.

The numbers of craft and consortia apprenticeship registrations in 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023 and 2024, by sector, are provided in tabular form below.

Donna McGettigan (Clare, Sinn Fein)
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2126. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills for a full breakdown of costs from budget 2026 to increase 12,500 apprentice registrations as set out by the programme for Government target per annum by 2030; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [58718/25]

James Lawless (Kildare North, Fianna Fail)
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In Budget 2026, I secured an additional €79 million investment for apprenticeship delivery, bringing total funding to over €410 million. This investment lays a strong foundation to achieve the target of 12,500 annual apprentice registrations by 2030 and supports national infrastructure priorities.

Ireland’s apprenticeship system is demand-led and employer-driven, responding to workforce and skills needs across sectors. The Government remains firmly committed to expanding apprenticeship opportunities, recognising their critical role in equipping the workforce to meet national priorities, including housing, transport, and digital infrastructure.

Since the establishment of my Department in 2020, annual craft apprenticeship registrations have increased by 63%, from 4,377 to 7,113 in 2024. Consortia-led registrations have more than doubled, rising from 949 to 2,239. The additional €79 million investment will directly support continued growth in response to employer demand.

This funding has also enabled a 34% increase in the number of apprenticeship programmes, from 58 to 78. These include 25 craft and 53 consortia-led programmes across sectors such as construction, ICT, hospitality, health, and social care - supporting Ireland’s economic and social development. Further programme expansion is underway.

Building on this progress, the Action Plan for Apprenticeship 2026–2030 will be launched next year, setting a target to grow annual registrations from 9,352 in 2024 to 12,500 by 2030. Stakeholder consultations on the new Plan will begin shortly.

SOLAS is the State Agency responsible for the provision of further education and training (FET) programmes including apprenticeships. SOLAS allocates funding to Education and Training Boards and partners to deliver FET programmes at a local level, based on agreed targets linked to local and industry needs. It is the responsibility of each ETB to plan and deliver its services throughout the year, taking into account their allocated budgets and the specific needs of their local communities in line with its functions set out in the Education and Training Board Act of 2013.

Donna McGettigan (Clare, Sinn Fein)
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2127. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the number of new places in medicine out of the 1,100 for the budget 2026 higher education allocation; the costs for the increase of these new places; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [58719/25]

Donna McGettigan (Clare, Sinn Fein)
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2128. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the exact number of health and social care new places out of the 1,100 for the budget 2026 higher education allocation; the costs for the increase of these new places; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [58720/25]

James Lawless (Kildare North, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 2127 and 2128 together.

As part of Budget 2026, I am allocating €23.5 million, to significantly expand training capacity in key health and social care professions. This investment will support the creation of over 1,100 additional course places across medicine, nursing, pharmacy, dentistry, veterinary medicine, and allied health disciplines in 2025 and 2026.

This expansion is a strategic response to the urgent workforce needs in our health, disability, and education sectors. It includes:

• 463 additional places in health and social care disciplines such as therapy disciplines, dietetics, radiography, and radiation therapy.
• 35 places in dentistry, 161 in pharmacy, 80 in veterinary medicine, and 78 in medicine through new programmes launched or launching in institutions such as RCSI, ATU, SETU, UL and the University of Galway.
• Up to 300 additional places in existing nursing and medicine courses.
• Continued support for over 100 places in nursing and medicine in Northern Irish institutions for students from the Republic of Ireland.