Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees

Thursday, 23 November 2023

Public Accounts Committee

Appropriation Accounts 2022
Vote 45 - Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science
Financial Statements 2022: National Training Fund
Report on the Accounts of the Public Services 2022
Chapter 19: National Training Fund

9:30 am

Mr. Paul Lemass:

The first step is to get HEA bundle two concluded, which we hope to do during the course of next year, subject to negotiations. It is also important to recognise that there is a range of other programmes, both up and running and about to be kicked off. When the Department was established, we already had the higher education strategic infrastructure fund No. 1 up and running. We also had the infrastructure upgrade and refurbishment fund, with 16 projects across universities. Since our establishment, we have set up a technological sector strategic projects fund and we now have six projects at preliminary business case stage under that fund. In addition, the higher education strategic infrastructure fund No. 2 has also kicked off, with four projects being considered as part of that. Crucially, for further education and training, we have a FET college of the future programme-----