Minister Lawless receives approval from Oireachtas for National Training Fund (Amendment) Bill, Unlocking €1.5 Billion for Education and Research
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Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science James Lawless TD has obtained Oireachtas approval for the National Training Fund (Amendment) Bill. The Bill which amends the National Training Fund Act 2000 passed all stages in the Oireachtas.
This legislation will unlock the €1.5 billion funding package, announced in Budget 2025, for the tertiary education sector over a six-year period from 2025 to 2030.
This includes:
- €885m current funding including, increasing funding for higher education by a further €150m by 2030 and one-off current funding for the tertiary sector including skills and apprenticeships;
- €600m capital uplift to enable skills development, including facilities in the areas of healthcare and veterinary skills and further education skills; supporting universal access to skill provision; and the research sector (including an increase in the PhD stipend). A further €50m was made available through the NDP review process for research, bringing the total capital package to €650m.
Minister Lawless said:
"For the last twenty-five years, the National Training Fund has been a strategic national asset for re-skilling and up-skilling of our existing workforce, and it is central to providing the future workforce with the skills to be successful.
"However, a considerable surplus has built up, which is why I am taking action now to ensure we invest this money where it is most needed.
"The changes we are making to the legislation are targeted, practical and necessary, and allow for NTF spending on the provision or upgrading of lands, buildings and equipment for the purposes of up-skilling and re-skilling.
“This legislation will allow us to make use of the €1.5 billion package announced in Budget 2025, without changing the purpose of the Fund, which remains focused on skills, training and helping people into work.
"This package will help deliver the education, training and research needed to keep pace with a fast-changing world. It will support thousands of learners each year across further and higher education institutions, apprenticeships, and new upskilling pathways, producing skilled graduates who are ready to contribute to a dynamic and competitive economy.
Minister Lawless concluded:
"The success at the heart of Ireland’s economic model over the last 50 years has been our commitment to education and training. That commitment has transformed our workforce and our society. This legislation combined with the €1.5bn NTF budget package continues this vital investment in our workforce and our country, ensuring we are ready for the challenges ahead in a rapidly changing world."
Notes to editors
The National Training Fund was established by the National Training Fund Act, 2000 as a dedicated fund for schemes, which are established to:
- raise the skills of those in employment,
- provide training to those who wish to acquire skills to take up employment, or
- provide information in relation to existing, or likely future, requirements for skills in the economy.
The Act provides for the imposition of a Levy on employers for a group of certain employees. Originally set at 0.7% of reckonable earnings, the rate was increased incrementally by 0.1% over 3 years, from 2018 to 2020, to the 1% rate currently applied following consultation with industry partners.
The accumulated surplus in the Fund is estimated to be approximately €1.8 billion at the end of 2024.