Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 16 October 2025
74. Deputy John Clendennen asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the number of people currently employed to provide training to apprentices, by apprenticeship programme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [55738/25]
View answerIn recent years, supported by strong government investment, the apprenticeship system has grown significantly. Annual craft apprenticeship registrations have risen 63% from 4,377 in 2020, the year in which my department was formed, to 7,113 in 2024. In the same period Consortia-led registrations have grown from 949 to 2,239.
This investment has also supported a 34% growth in the number of apprenticeship programmes available from 58 to 78. There are now 25 craft apprenticeship programmes and 53 consortia-led programmes designed to serve industry needs across multiple sectors such as construction, ICT, hospitality, health, and social care - supporting Ireland both economically and socially. Work is ongoing to expand apprenticeship options further, with new programmes in development.
Next year we will launch the Action Plan for Apprenticeship 2026–2030, setting a target to increase annual apprentice registrations from 9,352 in 2024 to 12,500 by 2030. Stakeholder consultations on the new Plan are scheduled to commence shortly. With the significant investment I secured in Budget 2026 bringing the total funding for apprenticeship to over €400 million, a strong foundation has been laid from which to further expand the apprenticeship system, including through additional recruitment to support the delivery of training and achieve the 12,500 target by 2030.
The information requested is not readily available and will be supplied to the Deputy as soon as possible.
