William Aird (Laois, Fine Gael)
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711. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the uptake of apprenticeships across the country in 2025; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [67820/25]

James Lawless (Kildare North, Fianna Fail)
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In Budget 2026, I secured a record investment of €79 million in apprenticeship delivery, which is the largest since the formation of my department. This brings the total current budget for apprenticeship delivery to over €410 million, which is more than double what it was in 2020. This is a clear demonstration of the Government’s commitment to growing and developing the apprenticeship system.

This record investment has delivered clear results. Annual apprenticeship registrations have grown strongly in recent years from 6,177 in 2019 to 9,352 in 2024. This increase provides a strong foundation for achieving the Government's target of 12,500 new apprentice registrations annually by 2030, with two-thirds of these in craft and construction-related programmes.

In 2025 to end-October, there have been a total of 7,853 apprenticeship registrations. Of these, 5,842 were craft apprenticeship registrations and 2,011 were consortia-led apprenticeship registrations.

Building on this positive momentum, the Action Plan for Apprenticeship 2026-2030 will be launched next year, delivering on a key commitment in the Programme for Government. Stakeholder consultations on the new Plan are scheduled to commence shortly.