Apprenticeships: Statements Seanad Éireann — 2026-02-10 ============================================================ Mike Kennelly (FG), Labour Panel I welcome the Minister of State and Katelyn Cummins to the Seanad tonight. I am a very proud Kerryman. I was putting together my few words for tonight. My son is in phase 5 of an electrical apprenticeship. When Ms Cummins won the coveted crown as Rose of Tralee last year, she really elevated the apprenticeship model for the female sector. The figures in that respect are very low. We will talk about that later on. It was a really proud moment for the skills sector. It really enticed ladies into apprenticeship schemes. I really hope Ms Cummins enjoys her time here, having been invited by the Chair. Apprenticeships are one of the few areas where we have seen real tangible progress. My contribution tonight is really about the life of an apprentice, the factors that have worked against apprenticeships and how we can make them better. I refer to funding and so forth. The increase in the number of apprenticeships is really encouraging. We now have a genuine opportunity to transform the whole system. I welcome the number of 9,461 in 2025. That is a huge number and an increase of 70% on 2020. A major turning point came in 2025 here in the Chamber when the Government finally unlocked the National Training Fund. That decision closed the core funding gap that had been holding apprenticeships back for too long. It was not just an accounting change. It was a moment when our ambitions were finally matched with resources. If we are serious about expanding apprenticeships, modernising training, supporting employers and meeting the climate and energy commitments in the programme for Government, including the SEAI targets, unlocking that fund is the key to open the door. It gives us the financial foundation to build the skilled workforce Ireland urgently needs. However, unlocking the fund is only the beginning. We now have to use it wisely. The recommendations of the committee, which I sit proudly on, make clear where that investment must go. The system is doing good work but it needs to move faster and be more flexible and accessible if it is to meet the demands of the next decade. I will share one example that reflects what many across the country will be hearing. A 45-year-old man recently came to me. He is married, has a family and mortgage and, with a full working life already behind him, wants to retrain. He wants to start an apprenticeship in a sector that is crying out for workers but, when he looked at the rates for first and second-year apprentices and at his mortgage repayments, childcare costs and college fees, he realised he simply could not make the numbers work. He told me that he is willing to put in the work but just cannot afford to go backwards. That is the reality for a lot of people out there. If we want to bring in older workers, those changing careers, parents and people with real-world experience, people we absolutely need, apprenticeships must be financially viable for them. As we move towards a single integrated apprenticeship model, we need to ensure that standards remain strong across every trade and every programme. Whether someone is training as an electrician, a software developer or a heat pump installer, they deserve the same level of quality and support. Curriculums must keep pace with industry, technology and green skills, which are evolving quickly. We cannot have programmes taking years to update. Streamlined development time is essential. AI upskilling has never been more relevant to the apprenticeship model and to all employers. That is something to be noted. With the benefit of the NTF, we need more instructors and more training facilities. Trades like mechanical automation and electrical are oversubscribed. These are exactly the skills we need to meet our climate and industry targets so expanded capacity is urgently needed. Thanks to the NTF, we finally have the means to achieve that. There is nothing holding us back. The committee rightly emphasises the importance of listening to apprentices themselves. Course sequencing matters. Career skills modules make far more sense later in the programme, when apprentices have real workplace experience. If we want a system that works for everyone, universal design must be built in from the start. People with disabilities should not just be consulted at the end. They should be shaping programmes from day one. Pathways like those offered by the National Learning Network should be highlighted and expanded. Financial barriers still remain one of the biggest obstacles. An increased minimum wage, the removal of student charges and targeted supports for parents, older apprentices and those with dependants would make a real difference. Even the cost of tools can be a dealbreaker. That should not be happening in a modern society. People like the 45-year-old father I mentioned who have families, mortgages and responsibilities are being locked out of apprenticeship programmes. These are people who want to contribute, to retrain and to be part of the workforce that will deliver our climate and energy transition. We cannot afford to lose them. On apprenticeship tools, it is hugely important that the Fine Gael Senator PJ Murphy, who is not here right now, gets the full support of this House on his proposed tool theft Bill, which is to come before the Seanad next week. The Bill recognises that, when tools are stolen, it is not just equipment that is taken, but a person's ability to train, work and progress. The Bill would amend the Criminal Justice (Theft and Fraud Offences) Act 2001 to create a mandatory minimum three-year custodial sentence for serious theft offences involving work tools or equipment from all apprentices where the theft prevents someone from learning their trade. Senator Murphy has highlighted the real financial and professional damage caused when tradespeople, electricians, plumbers, carpenters and sole traders have tools stolen. He has received strong support from across the trades and from apprentices, who often invest heavily in their first set of tools and rely on them to complete their on-job training. These thefts can halt their progress instantly. The Bill sends a clear message that stealing the tools of someone's trade is stealing his or her income, training and future. This Bill will represent an important step in protecting both qualified tradespeople and the next generation coming through the apprenticeship programme. Employers, especially at SMEs, need support too. When apprentices are off the job for training it can place real strain on small businesses. Targeted financial supports will help keep them engaged. We also need stronger sectoral bodies to co-ordinate employer involvement. The Insurance Institute model shows what is possible when an industry takes ownership of its skills pipeline. The public sector must lead by example. Social value procurement in public tenders would drive apprenticeship participation across the State. We also have to tackle the stigma that still surrounds apprenticeships. I am delighted that Katelyn is in our company tonight. In past times too many people saw them as the lesser option. A national campaign will help to shift that mindset, and that mindset is shifting. Elevating four-year craft apprenticeships to level 7 will send a strong signal about their value. Career guidance in schools needs to be viewed and reviewed, and apprenticeships should be presented as a real and equal option. As has been quoted, we need to mind our next generation of millionaires, to focus on them and deliver on them. --- Source: Houses of the Oireachtas. Licensed under CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). The Official Report is revised after first publication; the fetch timestamp below identifies the version quoted. Record URI: https://data.oireachtas.ie/akn/ie/debateRecord/seanad/2026-02-10/debate/main Retrieved: 2026-08-14T04:54:36+00:00 Sitting date: 2026-02-10