Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 28 July 2020
459. Deputy Rose Conway-Walsh asked the Minister for Education and Skills the estimated cost to reduce apprenticeship and post-leaving certificate fees by 50% and 100% respectively; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [18303/20]
View answerAn Annual Student Contribution (ASC) is levied on all students attending Institutes of Technology (IoTs). The amount of ASC charged to apprentices is calculated on a pro rata basis of the time which they spend in IoTs during the academic year. In cases where training is delivered in an Education and Training Board there is no contribution made by the apprentice.
For craft apprenticeships, the ASC charged is typically one third of the €3,000 ASC paid by students attending for the full academic year and so amounts to approximately €1,000 per apprentice per period spent in the IoT. In the case of the new consortia led apprenticeships the contribution varies for each programme as their off-the-job training has a more flexible structure.
Prior to Budget 2014 the portion of the ASC relating to examination fees was paid by the apprentice with FÁS/SOLAS paying the remainder of the fee. If the arrangement in place prior to Budget 2014 arrangement were to be reinstated the 100% cost to the State was estimated at €4.8 million in 2019. A 50% reduction in the ASC to apprentices would cost an estimated €2.4 million.
In relation to Post Leaving Certificate (PLC) the only centrally determined payment for the PLC programme is the €200 PLC participant contribution. This amount is not payable by persons with a medical card, as well as a number of other categories, which means that approximately 60% of PLC participants do not pay the contribution. The estimated cost to remove 100% of the PLC participant contribution is in the region of €2.4 million. An estimated 50% reduction would cost €1.2 million.
