Government accused of taking its 'eye off the ball' over major backlog in apprenticeship system

The 9,000 craft apprentices waiting to complete their off-the-job training to become fully qualified 'want to help sort out the housing crisis', Sinn Féin finance spokesperson Pearse Doherty said

Figures released earlier this week showed 3,376 craft trade apprentices dropped out of their courses over the last three years.

Sinn Féin has accused the Government of leaving the apprenticeship system in crisis, as more than 9,000 await progress in their courses.

The party’s finance spokesperson Pearse Doherty said the Government had taken its eye off the ball on craft apprenticeships, saying the trainees want to help solve the housing crisis but cannot.

“Now we have a situation where there are 9,000 construction-related apprentices who are waiting to complete their off-the-job training. These include people who want to become fully qualified bricklayers, plumbers, carpenters. These are the people who want to help to sort out the housing crisis,” Mr Doherty said.

“But because this Government took their eye off the ball, it’s now taken far longer for them to get qualified.”

Mr Doherty said due to this backlog, it can take up to six years for an apprentice to complete a four-year course.

The Donegal TD said if it took someone six years to complete a law degree, it would be deemed as “unacceptable”.

Figures released earlier this week showed 3,376 craft trade apprentices dropped out of their courses over the last three years.

Tánaiste Micheál Martin said it was the Government’s 'unrelenting focus' to eliminate the number of apprentices who have to wait six months or more to begin their off-the-job training.

Responding in the Dáil, Tánaiste Micheál Martin rejected any assertions the Government had taken its “eye off the ball”, saying construction output was increasing and was the highest in the EU.

“You don’t get those figures Deputy, if you don’t have apprentices coming through, if you don’t have an increase in the workforce,” Mr Martin said.

He said it was the Government’s “unrelenting focus” to eliminate the number of apprentices who have to wait six months or more to begin their off-the-job training.

Mr Martin cited “significant” backlogs in the apprenticeship system that were created due to the covid-19 pandemic.

The Tánaiste also cited a “cross-sectoral plan” being developed by a new taskforce, which was set up last October, with input from officials from Solas and the Department of Further Education.

Mr Martin said that Mr Doherty’s accusations that the Government doesn’t care about apprenticeships were “nonsense”.