Written answers

Wednesday, 2 October 2019

Department of Education and Skills

National Training Fund

Photo of Robert TroyRobert Troy (Longford-Westmeath, Fianna Fail)
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131. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills his views on a proposal by an organisation (details supplied); the share and amount of the national training fund budget that was allocated to the Skillnet programme in each of the years 2016 to 2019, in tabular form; the drawdown in funding in each year; and the forecasted share and amount that will go towards the programme in each year over the 2020 to 2022 period. [40102/19]

Photo of Robert TroyRobert Troy (Longford-Westmeath, Fianna Fail)
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132. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the number of microsized and SME businesses that availed of enterprise training, workforce learning and upskilling services from Skillnet Ireland in each of the years 2014 to 2018 and to date in 2019, in tabular form; and the percentage share of micro-sized and SME businesses that availed of such training from Skillnet from the number of such sized businesses that operate. [40103/19]

Photo of John HalliganJohn Halligan (Waterford, Independent)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 131 and 132 together.

Skillnet Ireland is funded by my Department through the National Training Fund (NTF) to act as an enterprise-led support body dedicated to the promotion and facilitation of enterprise training and workforce development as key elements in sustaining national competitiveness.  Its primary role is to increase participation in enterprise training and workforce learning within Ireland’s small and medium enterprises (SME), to upskill the workforce and provide greater access for workers to skills development.

Skillnet Ireland operates a joint funding model where training is funded by combining contributions from employers with Skillnet grants.

As the following table outlines, Skillnet have increased the number of SMEs they fund over the last number of years and continue to engage with enterprises of this size in a collaborative and innovative way, such as through the establishment of the SFA Skillnet.

Skillnet Ireland has drawn down their full allocation since 2016 as outlined in the following table:

2016201720182019
Allocation16,200,00018,200,00021,700,00028,000,000
% of NTF Expenditure5%5%5%6%

The expenditure ceiling for the National Training Fund is set as part of the Estimates process, having regard to the Government's overall budgetary and fiscal stance, and so the amount available for expenditure in any given year would only be decided as part of the budget process.

">National Training Fund Budget

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