I propose to take Questions Nos. 549 and 550 together.
Apprenticeships programmes exist across the public service including craft apprenticeships in the uniformed services and a number of state agencies, as well as commercial semi-state bodies.
In my role as Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, I have overarching responsibility for workforce planning in, and recruitment to, the civil service.
The civil service is presently piloting two civil service apprenticeship programmes to enhance ongoing professionalisation of corporate functions in the areas of finance and information technology:
Accounting Technician Apprenticeship Programme
This pilot is presently underway with Revenue in conjunction with Accounting Technicians Ireland.
Programme apprentices are remunerated at the average rate of €26,604 per annum
ICT Apprenticeship Programme
This is presently being lead out by of the Office of the Government Chief Information Officer, with apprentices being placed in a number of Government Departments and Offices.
Programme apprentices are presently remunerated at the rate of €23,162 per annum
The rate of pay for apprentices represents the dual educational off-the-job and experiential on-the-job aspects of the respective programmes.
As the Deputy will be aware, the current Programme for Government commits to an expansion in the number of registered apprentices nationally to 10,000 annually by 2025, including an increase in apprentice numbers within the civil service and the public service. The Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science has policy responsibility for apprenticeships nationally and following a call for written submissions in 2020 is, I understand, presently developing a National Action Plan for Apprenticeships in conjunction with key stakeholders that will be submitted to Government for its consideration in due course.