Apprenticeships: Statements
Seanad Éireann — 2026-02-10
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Nessa Cosgrove (LAB), Labour Panel

Craft apprenticeships. Connect Trade Union has told me that 20% to 25% of first-years in craft apprenticeships have been leaving. It has cited low pay as the reason. These are representative bodies that have said this to me. We know that apprentices receive a huge amount of support from the educational side. I know that myself from working in Mayo, Sligo and Leitrim Education and Training Board, MSLETB. I worked in the Sligo training centre. I was based there. The first-year apprentices have said - and this has come up already - that they are receiving as little as €7.67 per hour in their first year, which rises to €11.50 in their second year. As has been said here already, if people are living in one area and doing their apprenticeship in another, they are expected to pay double rent, expected to feed themselves and expected to pay for tools, and people do not have the bank of Mam and Dad to rely on. I know there have been strides in that there will be a more inclusive model but, unfortunately, the minimum wage is a massive issue.
I know Ben Friel. He is the president of the National Union of Students-Union of Students in Ireland. He addressed the Oireachtas joint committee on further education and pointed out that apprentice electricians are expected to possess a basic electrician's toolkit costing a thousand euro. I know there is a Bill about that coming up. In addition, it has come up with me that female workers, particularly hairdressers, unlike their male counterparts in construction, maybe, do not even get an incremental rate of pay. Maybe 25 years ago, when the minimum wage legislation was introduced, that was okay in that possibly the reason behind it was to keep 16-year-olds in school. As has come up here many times tonight, however, the average age in craft apprenticeships now is 23, and in hospitality, horticulture and food it is actually 30. Like Senator Kennelly said, we know that this is common sense and that people have mortgages, so it does not make sense that they are exempt in their first and second years. We know we are at a time when we need to keep apprenticeships. The Minister of State has spoken about wonderful initiatives about retrofitting and improvements. I know that in my own area. Unfortunately, however, if people within the construction sector, the housing sector and craft apprenticeships are dropping out in their first year, I do not know how we will meet our climate targets or how we are to be expected to build the number of houses we want to build. There is the Oireachtas committee on higher education, of which many people here are members, and I know that a report will be published, but will minimum wage for apprenticeships be included in that? Will a basic minimum wage for first-year and second-year apprenticeships be included in that? When is the publication date coming out?
I know we have made huge strides on this, and the Minister of State has to be commended on that, but we need to do more to ensure that first-year apprentices are not dropping out.

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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