Tony McLoughlin (Sligo-Leitrim, Fine Gael)
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232. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if his Department will be prioritising adults with low skills and qualification in the FET (details supplied); if so, if adequate resources will be allocated to do this; if full resources will be available to implement the upskilling pathways action plan; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13813/18]

John Halligan (Waterford, Independent)
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To support the skills need of those in employment a commitment has been included in the 2018 Action Plan for Education to publish a policy framework for the Further Education and Training (FET) sector on Employee Development. The framework will set out priorities, including how the FET budget will support employee development.  The framework will be published in Quarter 3 this year and implementation is scheduled to commence in Quarter 4 of this year.

Arising from the EU Council’s decision to adopt the Upskilling Pathways: New Opportunities for Adults Recommendation, the 2018 Action Plan for Education includes the commitment to develop an implementation plan on Upskilling Pathways. My Department has been considering the Council Recommendation and is planning implementation.  Arrangements have been made to establish an inter-agency steering group to collaborate on the development of the implementation plan, a report on which will be furnished to the European Commission this year. 

Both initiatives will guide the allocation of funding for supporting adults with low skills and qualifications.