Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Tuesday, 29 Feb 2000

Vol. 515 No. 3

Written Answers. - Training Programmes.

Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment (Ms Harney)

Apprentices from the construction, engineering – excluding electronics – and printing and paper sectors which have been subject to the apprenticeship levy are paid a training allowance by FÁS. Apprentices employed by firms in other industry sectors continue to be paid apprentice wages by their employers during the off-the-job phases. Wage rates as paid to apprentices by their employers are a matter between the apprentice, the employer and, as appropriate, the trade union concerned.

The normal arrangements for the off-the-job phases are that phase two, four and six training is delivered during the first, second and third year respectively. The training allowance is normally based accordingly on first, second and third year wage rates, such allowance being based on what the individual would normally receive if being paid the agreed industry apprentice wage norm by the employer. Due to the unprecedented increase in the numbers entering apprenticeship during the last three years, some delays have occurred in apprentice placement in off-the-job training in some trades, despite significant expansion of training places available to apprentices for the off-the-job training phases.

In the case where an apprentice is called for an off-the-job training phase at a later stage than would be normal, and where the delay has been caused by an inability to provide the training place at the normal time, FÁS bases the training allowance on the apprentice's current year-of-apprenticeship wage norm. In such circumstances, the maximum training allowance is based on the fourth year apprentice wage norm.