Peter Burke (Longford-Westmeath, Fine Gael)
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Absolutely. That is a very important point. We are working closely with the Department of further and higher education and the Department of Public Expenditure, NDP Delivery and Reform in connection with the utilisation of the fund to better effect. There is over €1 billion of a surplus in the fund currently.

We see much of a mismatch of skills across the sector, be it a small enterprise in a sector that is very dependent on staff and cannot get staff away to train or upskill because it depends on key persons being in position. We have to look at backfilling and in what way we can utilise the fund in connection with it. Regarding the mismatch in skills, I think it will be important. I am working through the budgetary package, trying to ensure that we have utilisation of the National Training Fund to better effect. When we consider the sectors paying into it and what they are getting back, there is an absolute necessity that Government comes forward with schemes and assistance that will help those SMEs with their labour shortages. We are in a constrained market. We know that even from my opening remarks on the utilisation of permits across the economy and how constrained things are. The Deputy is absolutely right. That is one of my primary focuses in the weeks ahead as we negotiate our next budget.