Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 16 October 2025
55. Deputy Maeve O'Connell asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the way in which his Department will invest in apprenticeships following the significant allocation made in Budget 2026. [55836/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraIn Budget 2026, I have secured an additional €79 million investment for apprenticeship delivery that will directly support the expansion of the apprenticeship system. A further €2.5 million was secured to reduce the cost of attending higher education by permanently lowering fees by 17% for over 14,000 apprentices in the 2025/26 academic year.
In 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.
Building on this progress, 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 in Budget 2026 bringing the total funding for apprenticeship to over €400 million, a strong foundation has been laid to achieve the 12,500 target and support national infrastructure projects.
