Ministers Lawless and Harkin announce over €39 million funding for Further Education and Training sector
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Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science James Lawless TD and Minister of State for Further Education, Apprenticeship, Construction and Climate Skills, Marian Harkin TD have today announced €39 million in devolved capital funding to be disbursed across the 16 Education and Training Boards (ETBs).
The announcement today provides an increased allocation of €12m for the standard Devolved Capital Grant for 2026, up from €8m in 2025. The Devolved Capital Grant provides ETBs with the flexibility to support a wide range of small-scale building works that include ongoing and planned preventative maintenance, health and safety works, access and refurbishment works, together with infrastructural improvement works and equipment upgrades including ICT.
This increased funding will assist ETBs in managing capital project budgets and timelines during a time of continued construction inflation, increased material and labour costs and supply chain challenges.
The overall allocation also includes €7 million to meet specific purpose projects. These projects will enable ETBs to procure high-end equipment and support the expansion of Skills to Advance Micro Qualifications for industry to multiple providers nationally. It will fund the upgrade of high-tech equipment to upskill and reskill staff in the biopharmaceutical and MedTech sectors and the procurement of specialist equipment to support the training, licencing and upskilling of construction, green skills and other sectors.
Speaking today, Minister Lawless said:
“I am very pleased to announce the expansion of these funding streams to the ETBs to support continued energy efficiency measures, ongoing capital investment in the FET estate and the provision of specialist equipment to support the upskilling of the construction, MedTech and other sectors nationally.
“My Department continues to provide significant resources to support our Further Education and Training Sector in offering the best facilities and equipment to its students and staff.
"These Devolved Capital Grants demonstrates my Department’s confidence in the ETBs to effectively manage their devolved funding and respond to their most pressing capital needs within their respective regions. This expanded funding will allow ETBs to prioritise maintenance and upgrade works across their existing FET estate ensuring service provision and value for money while enhancing the overall FET learning environment”.
In addition to the standard Devolved Capital Grant, today’s announcement provides an additional €8 million for the Green Devolved Capital Grant for 2025 and an increased allocation of €12 million for 2026 to support the ETBs in the delivery of energy efficiency and decarbonisation targets for Further Education and Training buildings.
The additional 2025 allocation is in addition to €8 million announced in early 2025. The increased Green Devolved Capital Gant allocation will support ETBs in achieving their 2030 energy efficiency and decarbonisation targets as set out in the Public Sector Climate Action Mandate.
Speaking today, Minister Harkin said:
“I am happy to announce the allocation of just over €20m from the Green Devolved Capital Grant to the Further Education and Training sector, this funding will support ETBs in achieving the required reduction in energy related greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 51% and improving energy efficiency by 50% by 2030.
“The funding will support for example the implementation of a strategic metering programme to install advanced electricity, gas, and water metering systems across the 568 FET buildings occupied by the ETBs. These meters will establish a baseline data for FET buildings and monitor 'out of hours' usage. This initiative is a foundational step in the broader decarbonisation strategy for the FET estate.”
Funding is provided under Project Ireland 2040 and forms part of the ongoing investment in the further education and training (FET) sector.
The funding will be distributed to the ETBs through SOLAS (tSeirbhís Oideachais Leanúnaigh agus Scileanna)
Avril Behan, Director of FET College of the Future in SOLAS, said:
"SOLAS welcomes the increased Devolved Capital Grant allocation for 2026. This grant will support ETBs towards further implementation of Universal Design to advance inclusion and pathways for all learners. The grant will also support the ongoing maintenance and improvement of safe, quality FET facilities which will benefit learners, staff, and community users."
"SOLAS also welcomes the significant investment by DFHERIS in Green Devolved Capital Grants between 2024 and 2026. This investment is enabling ETBs to implement systematic, Estates-wide sustainability initiatives, supported by SOLAS, to substantially address their Public Sector Climate Action Mandate requirement, in alignment with the tertiary sector’s roadmap, towards achieving energy efficiency and decarbonisation targets for their properties by 2030 and towards 2050. SOLAS is delighted to be able to support ETBs in demonstrating regional and local leadership in respect of Climate Action."
Notes
In addition to the €16.1m paid to the ETB sector in Q1 / 2025 for Green Devolved and Devolved Capital Grants, SOLAS will also distribute devolved funding of just over €32 million as set out in the following table. The devolved funding bands reflect the overall scale of each ETB and are based on overall funding allocations.
Devolved Capital and Green Devolved Capital Allocation 2025 & 2026.
| Education & Training Board |
Green Devolved Grant 2025 (Paid in Q1 2025) € |
Additional Green Devolved Grant 2025 (Paid in Q4 2025) € |
Green Devolved Grant 2026 (Paid in Q4 2025) € |
Devolved Capital Grant 2025 (Paid in Q1 2025) € |
Devolved Capital Grant 2026 (Paid in Q4 2025) € |
TOTAL paid to each ETB in 2025 € |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cavan Monaghan ETB | 435,000 | 435,000 | 652,500 | 435,000 | 652,500 | 2,610,000 |
| Donegal ETB | 435,000 | 435,000 | 652,500 | 435,000 | 652,500 | 2,610,000 |
| Kilkenny & Carlow ETB | 435,000 | 435,000 | 652,500 | 435,000 | 652,500 | 2,610,000 |
| Laois & Offaly ETB | 435,000 | 435,000 | 652,500 | 435,000 | 652,500 | 2,610,000 |
| Longford & Westmeath ETB | 435,000 | 435,000 | 652,500 | 435,000 | 652,500 | 2,610,000 |
| Tipperary ETB | 435,000 | 435,000 | 652,500 | 435,000 | 652,500 | 2,610,000 |
| Galway & Roscommon ETB | 507,500 | 507,500 | 761,250 | 507,500 | 761,250 | 3,045,000 |
| Kerry ETB | 507,500 | 507,500 | 761,250 | 507,500 | 761,250 | 3,045,000 |
| Kildare & Wicklow ETB | 507,500 | 507,500 | 761,250 | 507,500 | 761,250 | 3,045,000 |
| Louth & Meath ETB | 507,500 | 507,500 | 761,250 | 507,500 | 761,250 | 3,045,000 |
| Mayo Sligo & Leitrim ETB | 507,500 | 507,500 | 761,250 | 507,500 | 761,250 | 3,045,000 |
| City of Dublin ETB | 580,000 | 580,000 | 870,000 | 580,000 | 870,000 | 3,480,000 |
| Cork ETB | 580,000 | 580,000 | 870,000 | 580,000 | 870,000 | 3,480,000 |
| Dublin & Dun Laoghaire ETB | 580,000 | 580,000 | 870,000 | 580,000 | 870,000 | 3,480,000 |
| Limerick & Clare ETB | 580,000 | 580,000 | 870,000 | 580,000 | 870,000 | 3,480,000 |
| Waterford & Wexford ETB | 580,000 | 580,000 | 870,000 | 580,000 | 870,000 | 3,480,000 |
| TOTALS | 8,047,500 | 8,047,500 | 12,071,250 | 8,047,500 | 12,071,250 | 48,285,000 |
| TOTAL GREEN DEVOLVED GRANT AND DEVOLVED CAPITAL FUNDING PAID IN 2025 = € 48,285,000 | ||||||
In addition to the above, the Department has also allocated an additional €7m Devolved Grant to SOLAS for disbursement to the ETB sector for specific purposes as follows:
- Innovation through Collaboration
- High-end equipment to support ETBs in the expansion of Skills to Advance Micro Qualification for industry to multiple providers nationally.
- NZEB/ZEB Centres:
- Equipment to support training and upskilling of the construction sector towards achievement of ‘Housing for All’ and climate action targets.
- Construction and Green Skills:
- Specialist construction and green skills equipment supporting the training, licensing and upskilling of the construction and other sectors, towards achievement of ‘Housing for All’ and climate action targets.
- Life Sciences:
- Upgrading high-tech equipment for upskilling and reskilling staff in the Biopharmaceutical, Pharmaceutical and MedTech sectors.
Disbursement of this additional €7m allocation for 2025 DCG will be determined by SOLAS in collaboration with the ETBs, in line with identified local need.