Billy Kelleher (Cork North Central, Fianna Fail)

Government funding of the Skillnets training networks programme, which supports enterprise-led training in the workplace, has increased in recent years. Public funding of all training networks and in-company training programmes managed by Skillnets Limited amounted to €26.7 million in 2008. This level of funding has been indicative of the Government's commitment to upskilling persons in employment, with particular emphasis on those with low basic skills, in order to retain and enhance employability and maintain competitiveness. The programme's budget is provided through the national training fund, with levels of matching funding provided by the private sector.

The changed economic and employment market has meant many of the workers who would have benefited from training programmes for those in employment are now unemployed. In my view, this means we must adjust our training programmes to the new reality of the labour market. That is why my Department is implementing a number of initiatives to increase training for the unemployed. This will mean refocusing some of the finite budgetary resources for training towards activation measures aimed at training greater numbers of unemployed persons. It is because of this that the Skillnets training network programme allocation for 2009 is under review in the forthcoming April budget.

I am aware that proposals have been made to my Department from Skillnets on how the enterprise-led Skillnets training network model might potentially be of assistance in the training and up-skilling of the unemployed and of part-time workers. These proposals are currently under discussion with the Department. All departmental budgets are under review. Any re-allocations that result will reflect the funding priorities that have been agreed by the Government and the changes necessary to support their delivery.

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