Mairead Farrell (Galway West, Sinn Fein)
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51. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills for an update on progress in addressing the issues in the craft apprenticeship system; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26566/24]

Mairead Farrell (Galway West, Sinn Fein)
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Will the Minister of State update us on his progress in addressing the current challenges in the craft apprenticeship system? We are at the end of the leaving certificate examinations - hence a bit of a change in the weather - and young people are looking forward to what they may try to do later in life. One of the things that appeals is apprenticeships. That is a welcome decision to make, but we know there are challenges. Will the Minister of State address those?

Niall Collins (Limerick County, Fianna Fail)
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The Department continues to oversee the implementation of a plan put in place by the national apprenticeship office to significantly increase apprenticeship capacity and respond to the rise in craft apprenticeship registrations that are a result of the buoyant construction sector. The number of craft apprentices waiting for six months or longer for phase 2 of their job training has decreased by 42% since the implementation of the plan, from 5,319 in October 2023 to 3,071 in May 2024. Craft apprenticeships are designed to take 48 months. Of the 25 craft apprenticeship programmes, electrical instrumentation and pipe fitting are the two programmes taking significantly longer to complete, affecting a maximum of 300 apprentices.

The national apprenticeship office continues its focus on speeding up the completion of these programmes. Significant resources have been invested in the apprenticeship system - €64 million allocated in budget 2024 and €17 million of capital investment in 2023 - to support staff and other operational expenditure required to expand apprenticeship provision in current facilities; to help to develop new facilities; and to purchase required equipment. The national recruitment campaign, led by the national apprenticeship office, has resulted in 61 new instructor posts, in addition to the 80 instructor posts which were converted from fixed-term to permanent contracts, supporting retention. The capacity of education and training boards, ETBs, to deliver apprenticeship places has grown by 38% since the end of 2023 from 5,600 places in December 2023 to more than 7,500 in May 2024. This is a substantial increase in a short period, reflecting an entire apprenticeship system responding to this priority. It remains our priority to maintain this momentum, continue growing the apprenticeship system and ensure there will be enough training places for current and future skills needs.

Mairead Farrell (Galway West, Sinn Fein)
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I agree with the Minister of State that we want to see a growth in craft apprenticeships. That is what we are both looking for. Previously when this was discussed, one of the big things that was said about the apprenticeship system is that it is employer led. One of the biggest employers in the State is the public service. Sometimes, people would be forgiven for thinking only the private sector can employ people when we discuss this. However, the biggest employer in the State is the State itself. Let us take the local authorities as an example. Until the 1980s, local authorities built public housing with direct labour and created good apprenticeship opportunities for plumbers, carpenters, bricklayers, electricians and so on. Does the Minister of State know how many apprentices they have at this moment? It is not a trick question. The reality is that data is not collected centrally.

Seán Ó Fearghaíl (Kildare South, Ceann Comhairle)
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Thank you, Deputy.

Mairead Farrell (Galway West, Sinn Fein)
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Oh did I have one minute? I apologise. I got confused.

Niall Collins (Limerick County, Fianna Fail)
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As it is a priority question, the Deputy will have the opportunity to contribute again. The matter is topical. The Deputy mentioned that it is leaving certificate examination time and that people are looking at their various options. People will look at the time apprenticeships take to complete. Two programmes are unfortunately taking longer than 48 months. The duration of craft apprenticeship programmes is four years or 48 months and two are taking longer, electrical instrumentation and pipe fitting. Electrical instrumentation is taking 55 months, which is a seven-month overrun although there has been a reduction since April when it was 11 months. We are reducing that. Similarly we have an issue with pipe fitting. We are putting a sustained focus on that because it is a significant part of the construction sector, as the Deputy will be aware. Historically we have had an issue with workshops on pipe fitting. We are increasing the capacity at the Waterford and Wexford Education and Training Board. In respect of the numbers the Deputy-----

Seán Ó Fearghaíl (Kildare South, Ceann Comhairle)
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We will come back to the Minister of State. We are out of time.

Mairead Farrell (Galway West, Sinn Fein)
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I apologise. For some reason I thought I had two minutes so I was in the middle of my contribution when I had to finish speaking.

Let us look at the local authorities as an example. At the moment, information on how many apprenticeships there are is not collected centrally. The reality is that in most of our cities, maintenance of our existing housing stock is a huge issue. I contacted all the local authorities - I had to write to them multiple times - and I learned that of the more than 31,000 employees in our local authorities, only 47 are identified as apprentices and Dublin City Council has 37 of those. Of 31 local authorities, 25 do not have a single craft apprentice. If we are serious about increasing the number of apprentices we are taking on board to be able to meet the targets the Government has set, the Government needs to look at local authorities bringing on apprentices, with a view to regional balance and so forth and in respect of what we need to get done in our local housing stock and meeting the targets we have set.

Niall Collins (Limerick County, Fianna Fail)
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I will request updated information on the numbers. The Deputy has researched some of her own numbers. Suffice it to say that an integral part of our action plan for apprenticeships is that they be rolled out across the Civil Service and public service. That includes local authorities. The Department wants to see that action executed by our local authorities, by the Civil Service and by the public service, but the Deputy must remember - she raised the example of craft apprentices in the local authority sector - that the notion of an apprenticeship is that people earn as they learn. As well as the off-the-job training, employers act as tutors or people who are imparting knowledge. If the local authorities do not have particular knowledge or skill sets in-house - many of them now buy that in by way of contractors, as the Deputy will be aware - they may not be in a position to provide some apprenticeships. We can get that further information for the Deputy.