Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 25 July 2023
1432. Deputy John Brady asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the estimated amount it would cost to end apprenticeship charges; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36197/23]
View answerAn Annual Student Contribution (ASC) is levied on all who attend Institutes of Technology (IoTs) and Technological Universities. The amount of ASC charged to apprentices is calculated on a pro-rata basis according to the time that they spend in the institution during the academic year. In cases where training is delivered in an Education and Training Board there is no contribution required from 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 or Technological University. In the case of consortia-led apprenticeships the contribution varies for each programme as off-the-job training has a more flexible structure, ranging from periods of block release to one day per week or remote learning options. For the 2023/24 year, there is expected to be just over 9,000 places available for off-the-job training for craft apprentices.
For consortia-led apprenticeships, the pro-rata ASC ranges from €600 to €3,200 per apprentice per academic year, depending on the apprenticeship programme being undertaken. For the 2023/24 year, there is expected to be just over 1,800 places available for off-the-job training for consortia-led apprentices.
Based on these figures, the total annual cost of ASC for 2023/24 is anticipated to be in the region of €12 million.
On 25 May, I hosted a stakeholder event to hear directly from those who will be impacted through the measures that will be announced in Budget 2024. A non-exhaustive list of options to be considered in advance of Budget 2024 will be published ahead of budget day.
The options that will be contained in this paper are intended to identify the cost of different measures, such as the costs associated with reducing the student contribution.
