Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 18 January 2023
1038. Deputy Cathal Crowe asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if he proposes to introduce new rules pertaining to the level of pay that apprentices should receive, in light of the fact that many are in receipt of payments that are less than the national minimum wage; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1077/23]
View answerApprentices are primarily employees and all of the 66 available apprenticeships are undertaken under a contract of employment. For the majority of apprenticeships, the rate of pay is agreed between the apprentice and the employer with the employer paying the apprentice during both on-the-job and off-the-job training elements of the apprenticeship.
For the 25 craft apprenticeship programmes, the minimum rates of pay applying under the employment contract are either agreed within the relevant sector, or are set out in legally binding Sectoral Employment Orders recommended by the Labour Court.
On that basis any review of those rates currently payable is a matter for negotiation and agreement under the appropriate industrial relations structures in place and it would not be appropriate for me to be involved in the determination of apprenticeship pay or training rates.
