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Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Tuesday, 22 Feb 1972

Vol. 259 No. 1

Ceisteanna — Questions. Oral Answers. - AnCO Training Schemes.

31.

asked the Minister for Labour if he is aware that, in order to avail of the AnCO training schemes, applicants must be 18 years or over and that consequently they do not qualify for full wages until they are 23 years of age; and if he will arrange to have the entry age reduced to 16 years in line with conditions in other countries.

Entry to adult training and retraining courses at AnCO training centres, where courses of instruction are of six months duration approximately, is at present confined to persons of 18 years of age and over. The pay of workers who take up employment after training in an AnCO Centre is a matter for settlement with the employer and the usual situation is that the worker, after some working experience, is paid the full rate for the job in which he is employed.

The minimum age for entry into the statutory apprenticeship trades is 15 years and upon completion of the apprenticeship period of five years a worker is entitled to receive the full wages appropriate to the craft in which he has qualified.

I am not concerned about the apprenticeship courses, I am concerned about entry into AnCO. In order to qualify for entry into AnCO it is necessary to have a group certificate or the equivalent of the intermediate certificate. Some pupils are brighter than others——

Will the Deputy put his question, please?

Some qualify before they reach the age of 18 years. They are deprived of entry into AnCO and are in a vacuum until they reach the age of 18 years. All I am asking the Minister to do is to take the boy's ability into account when he applies for entry. I am sure the Minister is aware that some boys are brighter than others.

I am calling Question No. 32.

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