James Lawless (Kildare North, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Gabhaim buíochas leis an gCathaoirleach, leis na Teachtaí agus leis na Seanadóirí. Actually, I think it is only Teachtaí eile today, as this is the select committee. Gabhaim buíochas as an gcuireadh chun a bheith anseo inniu chun na Meastúcháin Athbhreithnithe 2025 don Roinn Breisoideachais agus Ardoideachais, Taighde, Nuálaíochta agus Eolaíochta a chur i láthair.

I am very pleased to be with members here today for the 2025 Revised Estimates for my Department, the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science. The 2025 Estimate provides a gross allocation of €4.6 billion to my Department, across both the Vote and the National Training Fund. This represents a 7.4% increase on 2024. The funding will allow the Department to continue its investment in innovation, creativity and inclusivity and ensure that we, along with our agencies, can respond to the key economic and societal challenges our country is facing.

My Department is expanding and creating learning opportunities, building a society with equity of opportunity and making a lasting impact on our education system. This funding will benefit over 444,000 further and higher education students, 27,000 apprentices and 98,000 workers throughout Ireland. In 2025, I have made strategic investments in apprenticeships, student supports, upskilling incentives for small and medium enterprise and core funding in higher education, as well as a significant capital investment.

Budget 2025 sees a further €77 million secured for the apprenticeship system, which represents the single largest investment in apprenticeships since the formation of my Department. The total apprenticeship budget, being some €337 million, has increased by 83% since 2020, clearly demonstrating the Government’s commitment to delivering quality training, supporting Ireland’s global competitiveness. I am allocating €20 million to fund initiatives for enterprises and individuals, including: expanding the upskilling incentivisation scheme for small and medium enterprises, which supports firms to embed innovation and entrepreneurial practices; supporting Enterprise Ireland and local enterprise offices to deliver training to small and micro enterprises; expanding skills training essential for the green transition, including modern methods of construction skills; and developing a 21st century social economy in the community, voluntary and social enterprise sectors.

I am enhancing access to supports for students with disabilities by establishing a person-centred model to deliver supports closely aligned to the students' needs, increasing the fund for students with disabilities, and widening the geographical provision of courses to students with intellectual disabilities. To address income disparity, I have adjusted the special rate of maintenance threshold in line with social welfare increases and increased all other maintenance and student contribution grant thresholds by 15%.

Through the National Training Fund, I will invest an additional €1.45 billion over the next six years, directed towards higher and further education, research, skills and decarbonisation. Sample measures include support for additional healthcare, medical and veterinary places; investing in research skills and infrastructure, and increasing PhD stipends; funding skills requirements across micro, small and medium enterprises; developing a construction and green talent pipeline to address key Government and national priorities under Housing for All and the national climate action plan, while meeting our housing and climate challenges; and providing decarbonised training facilities to support meeting those climate action targets.

Budget 2025 also saw an investment of €7.5 million in annual and recurrent funding for student accommodation initiatives in addition to the €100 million capital investment already committed to student accommodation and announced in 2024 through the national development plan.

This funding will activate additional student beds, ensure a strategic standardised approach to new developments and develop a technological university pilot programme focusing on alternative options, including a campus-led accommodation action plan and the promotion of sustainable travel and digs accommodation.

All of this further advances the work my Department has done in progressing the tertiary education system, ensuring it is accessible and meets the skills needs of our economy. It also affirms our commitment to utilise the National Training Fund surplus by providing vital additional resources to fund research, higher and further education, skills and decarbonisation. I have set out the figures in a variety of tables and documents supplied to the committee. I hope the overview and the documents are of assistance and I am happy to take questions as we go through the Revised Estimates.