I thank Deputy McGettigan and other Deputies very much for tabling these amendments. We had a good debate on this Bill in October. As a new TD, I am learning how all this process goes.

Sentiment score: 0.27

Forgive me if I am doing this incorrectly, even today.

Sentiment score: 0.27

We are all learning. We discussed a proposal that funding which had not been used already would be used and put back into buildings and things like that. I said at the time that I have worked in further education buildings which need to be retrofitted. I understand what the Minister is saying. For the learners and teachers in a building that is draughty and cold - it may have ivy coming into it - a retrofitting of the building is so important. It may not be too old. From an environmental point of view, I would like the buildings we have to be kept to the best capacity that they can be kept to. I would like us to be able to make sure that they are maintained. I do not mind whether we use the word "retrofitting" or the word "maintaining". I reiterate the point that I would not like to see surpluses being run again. There should not be an underspend in any of this area. The reality is that we have heard over the months since the Minister was appointed about the hopes and dreams of him and his Department. They will only be realised if the full funding for the Department is utilised. The Minister explained why there was an underspend, and that is fair enough. It will be used in these specific circumstances for these things, and I accept that. They need to be outlined clearly. I accept that the amendment provides for "these payments to only relate to training and upskilling and not for any other purpose" and for "these payments to only relate to the construction or reconstruction (not retrofitting) of a premises that is only used for training and educational purposes". If we are valuing education, particularly in fields like further education and community education, people need to feel as valued as people feel when a brand-new primary school, secondary school or third level institution is being built. If funds are being used for that purpose in this particular context, we recommend that this would be possible. Notwithstanding that, please do not run underutilised budgets. I do not want to tell the Minister how to do his job, but it is so important that this funding used. I do not want us to be back here again in a year or two looking at budgets that have not been fully used when we know there are deficits with regard to people's contracts not being fully fulfilled. When we talked about science recently during Science Week, we spoke about the facilities that are needed. I would love any money that is available from the Department to be able to be used for the upgrade of science equipment in as many education settings as the Minister has authority over. As I said at the time, there is no point in people using a Nokia-blockia phone when they should be using the best and newest updated smartphone they can have. It is important. I am not knocking Nokia-blockias, by the way; I had plenty of them when they first came out. When there is a surplus, it is important to use it wisely. While I accept Sinn Féin's amendment, I do not accept it in full because I do not agree that it should not include retrofitting. I am sorry about that.

Sentiment score: 0.26

I welcome the amendment and accept what the Minister has said on the EU legislation that could facilitate it. It would be great if it was facilitated. I agree with what has been said on apprenticeships. The further and higher education committee has spoken of it at length in recent months. Wonderful witnesses have come in and told us the stories of how amazing they have to be to motivate themselves, get involved with an employer and become an apprentice, and of the hurdles they face to get there. It is in a way easier to apply for a third level college course because you just go on the CAO and apply for whatever level is in question. I know I am slightly going off the general topic here, but I would love if people could log on and be able to apply for apprenticeships in the same way that they apply for a CAO place. I think the value of apprenticeships is returning to the level it used to be a number of decades ago. The snobbery is slowly being eroded and people genuinely feel doing an apprenticeship is the fastest way to learn and earn and then be guaranteed a job at the end. I met so many young people who are in college and wondering what they are going to do afterwards. Some of them have degree and a postgraduate qualification but they do not know what to do yet. I have yet to meet an apprentice who wondered what they will do now. They are already working and able to travel with these amazing skills they have learned. To go back to the issue of releasing funding from the National Training Fund, the challenges apprentices face are significant with regard to some structural issues, such as going to Donegal to finish off an electrical apprenticeship or going to Clare to do different apprenticeships. Those sorts of issues are very difficult. We have also heard recently from employers about how much money it costs to release chefs for training days. I would love to see this structure working and this funding coming back in to support these young people and learners, as well as the employers taking on apprentices and the colleges where they are going to do the learning, skills and theory part. We have a real possibility to do a lot with this fund. As others said earlier, I would love to see exactly where the money will go and what the plans are. We set out our stall a couple of weeks ago, and I would love to see a little bit more in this regard. Praise for apprentices is due but so is the infrastructure that goes around that.

Sentiment score: 0.31