asked the Minister for Labour the facilities that are available in this country for slightly retarded children who wish to secure suitable apprenticeships and who would be capable of meeting the requirements involved.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Retarded Children Apprenticeships.
2.
AnCO co-operate with the National Rehabilitation Board in helping to place handicapped persons in suitable apprenticeships. Such persons are given special consideration by AnCO and where necessary exemption from the educational qualifications is granted. In addition, where a slightly retarded person secures an apprenticeship with an employer, he or she is registered by AnCO and treated for training purposes in the normal way.
The Rehabilitation Institute are also involved in this field. The institute have their own training centres and some of these have a limited number of apprenticeship places. AnCO also co-operate with the institute and between them a number of apprenticeships have been secured with firms and successfully completed by handicapped persons.
A limited number of AnCO sponsored apprentices are trained off-the-job in their first year of apprenticeship in AnCO training centres. It is open to handicapped persons to apply for vacancies as they arise.
Can the Minister say how many such apprentices are availing of AnCO courses at the moment?
I have not got the exact number at the moment.