Pádraig O'Sullivan (Cork North-Central, Fianna Fail)
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103. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if he will confirm that SOLAS is in receipt of sufficient funding from the State to ensure that it can deliver on its annual service plan and operate accordingly; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36974/25]

James Lawless (Kildare North, Fianna Fail)
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I thank the Deputy for the question. We have had some discussion on this in the Chamber previously. The funding SOLAS receives has increased substantially, with current funding in 2025 representing a €310 million, or 37%, uplift compared to 2020. That has enabled one in ten adults to engage in learning funded by SOLAS and highlights the vital role of further education and training in workforce upskilling and lifelong learning.

To date this year, I have allocated nearly €1.3 billion to SOLAS in total funding to deliver national priorities in apprenticeships, upskilling, reskilling, literacy and so forth. SOLAS allocates this funding to the 16 ETBs to deliver programmes based on agreed targets. SOLAS and the ETBs must work with one another to manage their allocations. I hear that some ETBs are looking for more while others are making the most of what they have, but that is a normal and healthy dynamic between a funder and a funded organisation. They have to work together.

It is important to point out that a funding pressure has been identified in the budget. A budgetary issue arose and came to my attention about two weeks ago. Funding was found to be insufficient to cover the needs for the current year and that is something I am working through. I have been engaging with the Minister for public expenditure on it since it came to my attention. It is a legacy issue that stems from a situation that arose last year and the year before. There was a backlog in apprentices and those that should have been progressing much faster through the system were not, which put pressure on the system. This goes back to the issue of pay because the apprentices still in the system were being paid a higher rate than they should have been had they been progressing through faster.

Ultimately, it is a legacy issue. I am aware of it and I am working on it. I have made the House aware of it. I do not believe we will see issues arising. I have written to SOLAS to say that no apprenticeship courses should be cancelled as a result.

Pádraig O'Sullivan (Cork North-Central, Fianna Fail)
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I thank the Minister for being straight and upfront on the issue. I am glad that he has acknowledged that there is a dynamic between SOLAS and the ETBs and that this is probably an annual thing but there are still issues. If I went on the Internet tonight, I would see that there is allegedly an issue in Donegal. It is reported that there is a shortfall of €2.1 million. In Louth and Meath ETB, with which the Cathaoirleach Gníomhach is involved, a shortfall of up to €12 million has been identified. That is quite significant. The Minister has said this is a funding pressure that was brought to him and that he is doing his best to work through it. When did it first come to his attention? If there is funding pressure as a result of people moving forward from stages 4 and 6 of their apprenticeships, I assume that will have to be addressed in the forthcoming budget. Will the Minister identify how he hopes to do that?

James Lawless (Kildare North, Fianna Fail)
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This came to my attention about a month ago. I addressed it in the Chamber shortly after that. That funding pressure arises from apprentices being in the system for longer than was ever anticipated because of backlogs that arose previously. They are on an incremental scale so, as they remain in the system, they become eligible for higher rates. This means there was a requirement for greater funding than had been allocated. I have written to SOLAS. I wrote to the chair and I am also meeting the board. I have instructed that no apprenticeship programme should be cancelled as a result of this. It is not good enough. We cannot allow this situation to arise again. It is unfortunate that we had a backlog in the first place but we cannot have any further backlogs because it is so important to overall societal and Government priorities, including construction, green skills and the rest of the 77 areas of apprenticeships we now have, that we allow learners to progress through the system as rapidly as possible. I understand some ETBs are deferring places rather than cancelling them but I believe any apprentices who have been called will take up that call and progress. We may see some slippage in a couple of courses, however. It is regrettable but this is something I am working through. I have engaged with the Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation, with his Department and directly with SOLAS to try to address the matter.

Pádraig O'Sullivan (Cork North-Central, Fianna Fail)
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If I understand the Minister, some ETBs are deferring. The issue still needs to be dealt with. Are we just kicking the can down the road and, in essence, just leaving the issue for the Minister to solve in the next budgetary cycle? He has said he became aware of this a month ago. Given the numbers of apprentices at the various stages, this should have been identified an awful lot sooner. If the Minister was only made aware of this a month ago, I would ask how whoever was responsible, whether inside the Department or elsewhere, missed this? It is quite significant. In essence, the Minister has said that we are facing the distinct possibility of many courses being deferred. As far as I am concerned, that is just kicking the can down the road. Ultimately, the only solution to this is additional funding in the budget. Will the Minister comment on my concern that we are kicking this further down the road?

James Lawless (Kildare North, Fianna Fail)
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It absolutely will not be kicked down the road on my watch. I assure the Deputy of that. I intend to tackle this. That is why I am engaging with the Minister for public expenditure and directly with SOLAS. I am meeting the board on Thursday. This needs to be tackled and brought to a head. Like all other agencies funded under the Department's aegis, SOLAS makes submissions as part of the annual Estimates process. It is required to ensure that it gets value for money but also that it is productive, uses the resources allocated to it in the correct way and measures and manages properly so that what it estimates is needed in its allocation is actually what it spends. If that is not done, it will cause difficulties, as we see in this case. I agree with the Deputy about kicking the can down the road. It is not the way to do it and it will not be done. We will get this tackled.