Apprenticeships: Statements
Seanad Éireann — 2026-02-10
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Aubrey McCarthy (IND), University of Dublin

I thank the Minister of State for being here today. I welcome the chance to speak on apprenticeships. They can be very positive. However, as my colleague Senator Tully has mentioned, there are issues regarding wages, reimbursement and the allowances for buying tools. Ireland could lead the way because it is not just about skills or the training programmes. It is also about opportunity. Senator Scahill mentioned my neighbour Sean Mulryan. He comes from Roscommon but lives beside me in Kildare. He is an example of what can be achieved when we invest in the right programmes. The mention of AnCO brought back memories.
I also want to acknowledge the Rose of Tralee, Katelyn Cummins. Even her being part of the apprenticeship programme shows leadership. It also motivates other young women. Her employer, John Dwan, is here along with his wife Noreen and the operations director of the Rose of Tralee, Steve Crowley. They are going to buy me dinner after the debate. It is wonderful to have them all here today.
What matters about the apprenticeship scheme is that it is not seen as a second option anymore. It used to be the poorer cousin, and if a person did not go to university, he or she did an apprenticeship. Now it seems everybody is taking the university pathway, whereas to get an apprenticeship is the gold ticket. I helped co-found a charity called Tiglin, which works with people who are marginalised. From my own experience in working with communities, what I have seen through the social enterprises that we have set up is that apprenticeships can turn lives around. That can be for people who have been marginalised or who have struggled with education or unemployment, and it helps them to find their feet again with real, structured training programmes and not handouts. It definitely turns their lives around.
I know from my own experience of apprenticeship schemes that they are full of people who want to work and to belong, and apprenticeships give that pathway. If we look across the country, social enterprises are doing incredible work and providing safe, supportive environments where people can learn skills and rebuild confidence as they re-enter the workplace with purpose, but they cannot do that on goodwill alone. Apprenticeship programmes can be fully integrated into the national system using social enterprises. There is huge potential there that is not realised. If we are serious about inclusion, apprenticeships have to be across the board, not only for adults, but also school leavers and vice versa . Second chances do matter, but we also need to be honest about where the country is at. I am on the housing committee, and we have been debating housing supply. We have targets, plans and strategies but plans will not build the homes. We need skilled people with an emphasis on more electricians, plumbers, carpenters and bricklayers. If we want houses built, it is essential that we first deliver the workforce to deliver the houses. That means expanding the apprenticeship places, giving certainty around funding, and strengthening the partnerships between the Government, industry and community organisations. It also means changing the narrative.
Apprenticeships are no longer a fallback. They are a solid, respected, well-paid career path. Well-paid is up for debate, and we need to focus on that. Apprenticeships do not just build workers. They build confidence and communities, and ultimately that will build a fairer Ireland. We need to make sure everyone, regardless of background, age, etc, gets the chance to work, learn and thrive.

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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