Budget 2026 was a missed opportunity to stand up for apprentices

Labour’s Further and Higher Education Spokesperson Senator Laura Harmon has said that Budget 2026 was a missed opportunity to fully abolish apprenticeship fees and tackle the crisis facing apprentices across Ireland. Speaking after today’s meeting of the Oireachtas Committee on Further and Higher Education, Senator Harmon said the Government must do more to make apprenticeships viable at a time when we need skilled workers to address the housing emergency.

Senator Harmon said:

“Budget 2026 was a missed opportunity to stand up for apprentices. We need apprentices more than ever if we are to build the homes this country so desperately needs, yet Government continues to make it unaffordable for many to pursue these careers. It is not enough to talk about skills shortages while doing nothing to support the people who want to fill those gaps.

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