From Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science
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Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science Simon Harris TD and Minister of State for Skills and Further Education Niall Collins have today announced €8 million funding for the 16 Education and Training Boards (ETBs) to support the further education and training sector.
Under Project Ireland 2040, an investment of over €8 million will be distributed to the 16 ETBs as part of the ongoing investment in the further education and training (FET) sector.
This funding may be used by ETBs to plan and deliver, at a local level, essential small-scale works to improve the FET infrastructure, provide for essential new or upgrades to equipment needs and implement energy efficiency and decarbonisation-related investment.
Feedback from ETBs has shown that the availability of this devolved funding programme, allows for efficient and effective delivery of essential smaller projects.
In announcing the funding today, Minister Harris said:
“I am very pleased to announce the continuation of this vital funding stream to the ETBs and to also confirm funding at the same level, for the next two years. This allows ETBs to build on their plans not just for 2024 but for 2025 and 2026.
“The Devolved Capital Grant has proved an essential part of the overall funding framework to support ETBs in the delivery of FET.
“This is a vital investment in our further education colleges and the learners. It is essential to ensuring they have the flexibility to deliver improvements in their campuses and this three-year certainty means they can plan ahead.”
Minister Collins said:
“The Devolved Capital Grant is a priority investment for ETBs under the National Development Plan, as part of Project Ireland 2040.
“I am confident that the delivery of small-scale works, without delay at a local level, assists the ETBs in maximising their FET estates, allowing students to maximise their learning experience in a more suitable and comfortable learning environment.”
SOLAS will distribute the Devolved Capital Allocation of just over €8 million to the individual ETBs. The annual rate for each ETB is set out in the following table. The devolved funding bands reflect the overall scale of each ETB and are based on overall funding allocations.
| ETB | Maximum Capital Value for each ETB | Total Funding 2024 |
| Cavan Monaghan ETB (CMETB),Donegal ETB (DETB), Kilkenny & Carlow ETB (KCETB), Laois & Offaly ETB (LOETB), Longford & Westmeath ETB (LWETB), Tipperary ETB (TETB) | €435,000 | €2,610,000 |
| Galway & Roscommon ETB (GRETB), Kerry ETB (KETB), Kildare & Wicklow ETB (KWETB), Louth & Meath ETB (LMETB), Mayo, Sligo and Leitrim ETB (MSLETB) | €507,500 | €2,537,500 |
| City of Dublin ETB (CDETB), Cork ETB (CETB), Dublin & Dun Laoghaire ETB (DDLETB), Limerick & Clare ETB (LCETB), Waterford and Wexford ETB (WWETB)) | €580,000 | €2,900,000 |
| Total 2024 Devolved Capital Allocation | €8,047,500 |