Carol Nolan (Offaly, Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

85. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the projected revenue and expenditure of the national training fund over the next three years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3719/17]

John Halligan (Waterford, Independent)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

The National Training Fund (NTF) is funded mainly by the imposition of a levy on employers.  The levy is 0.7% of reckonable earnings in respect of employees in Class A and Class H employments, which represents approximately 75% of all insured employees. The levy is collected through the PAYE/PRSI system and funds are transferred monthly to my Department by the Department of Social Protection. NTF income also includes European Social Fund refunds and European Globalisation Funds.

The level of receipts from the employment levy over the next three years is expected to be as follows: €405 million in 2017,  €426 million in 2018 and €444 million in 2019.  The actual amount collected will depend on the numbers in employment each year.

The level of expenditure from the NTF will depend on the demand for services. The overall level of investment in training is in line with previous years but there has been a rebalancing of funding from training for employment to training those in employment to take account of the improved employment situation.

A total of €366.3 million has been allocated this year from the NTF.  It should be noted that NTF funding forms part of the Department’s annual overall expenditure ceiling and, unless the rate of the levy changes, fiscal rules mean that any increase in NTF expenditure would have to be offset by reductions in expenditure elsewhere.