Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 1 July 2025
886. Deputy John Connolly asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if any consideration has been given towards increasing the grant available to companies for the employment of an apprentice as part of an apprenticeship programme. [35990/25]
View answer887. Deputy John Connolly asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if any consideration has been given towards increasing the grant available to companies for the employment of an apprentice as part of an apprenticeship programme. [35991/25]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 886 and 887 together.
The Government is committed to ensuring that employers continue to value apprenticeships and are incentivised to participate in apprenticeship programmes across all sectors of the economy.
The department’s Action Plan for Apprenticeship 2021-2025 recognised that the cost of training is a potential barrier to employer participation in apprenticeships. To support employers with training costs, a €2,000 employer grant was launched in 2022 for employers of consortia-led apprentices. Since the introduction of this grant, yearly registrations on consortia-led apprenticeships have risen from 1,652 in 2021 to 2,239 in 2024.
This grant is intended to contribute to the cost of employing apprentices in order to improve the cost-benefit argument for the apprenticeship option when businesses are making recruitment decisions.
Targeted financial supports are also available to supplement employer grants to encourage the employment of underrepresented groups into apprenticeship programmes.
In line with commitments within the Programme for Government, the Department will be developing and launching a new 5-year Apprenticeship Action Plan to set a strategic vision for the apprenticeship system from 2026 to 2030.
