Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 20 January 2026
1089. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the number of people currently availing of training apprenticeships, by apprenticeship programme; the number of people currently eligible to undertake the next stage of their apprenticeship who are not currently in an apprenticeship programme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4365/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraIn Budget 2026, I secured a €79 million investment to expand apprenticeship delivery. This brings total current investment in apprenticeships to more than €410 million — an increase of over 120% since 2020, the year in which my Department was established.Supported by this investment, the number of people doing apprenticeships has increased significantly in recent years, with the apprentice population increasing by 59% from 19,630 at the end of 2020 to 31,165 at the end of December 2025. The attached table gives a breakdown of this figure by apprenticeship programme, including all craft and consortia apprenticeship programmes. In the national apprenticeship system, apprentices must be actively registered and engaged in their programme in order to progress to the next stage. They must also have met all the required criteria for their current or previous phase, such as gaining the necessary on-the-job experience and/or passing the relevant assessments or examinations. Therefore, all apprentices who are eligible to progress to the next stage of their programme are, by definition, already registered on an apprenticeship. If an apprentice has previously completed part of their apprenticeship but is no longer actively engaged in the programme and wishes to return to complete it, they should contact the Training Advisor at the ETB where they previously attended, for guidance on next steps. Alternatively, they may contact the National Apprenticeship Office.
