Mr. Seán Ó Foghlú:

As it is still an Exchequer allocation, it would still be an increase in State expenditure under the national training fund. It is not at the discretion of the Minister to increase expenditure under the fund but at the discretion of the Government. Under the expenditure rules, to increase the level of that expenditure other expenditure by the Exchequer would have to decrease. It is not bonus money available to us to be spent on education and training. It would be great if it was, but it is not. Therefore, jointly with the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform, we have issued a discussion paper on the national training fund outlining options for increasing funding for further and higher education and training.

Funding relating to the national training fund is referred to under that. We are considering the potential for increasing that. Any increase in taxation would not be caught under the European rules for increasing expenditure more generally. If the level of tax was increased, it would be additional expenditure which the State would be allowed to undertake within the European rules. That is my understanding. We are consulting on that, but if we were to spend more on the national training fund now, it would just take down the rest of our voted expenditure. It would circle off.