David Stanton (Cork East, Fine Gael)
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118. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if he will outline the value of the National Training Fund, his further plans for the fund; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26611/23]

Niall Collins (Limerick County, Fianna Fail)
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As the Deputy is aware, the National Training Fund (NTF) is a dedicated fund to upskill people in employment, and to provide training and reskilling opportunities for those who are unemployed. It also funds research on existing and likely future skills requirements of the economy. Established by the National Training Fund Act, 2000, it is resourced by a levy at 1% on employers, which is collected through the PRSI employers’ contribution.

For 2023, the income of the NTF is forecast at just over €1 billion with planned investment of over €900m invested in schemes for these purposes. It is projected that this will result in an annual surplus of €120m, which will increase the accumulated surplus in the NTF to a projected €1.5 billion by end-year.

Understandably, enterprise representatives including those on the enterprise-led NTF Advisory Group have characterised the prospect of an ever-increasing surplus in the NTF as unsustainable in light of the scale and extent of re-skilling and up-skilling needs of our workforce.

Following engagement with An Taoiseach earlier this year, my Department is currently engaging with the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment and the Department of Public Expenditure, NDP Delivery and Reform to develop options for consideration by Government for the unlocking of the NTF surplus as an integral element of the Estimates 2024.

This work provides the opportunity to address the challenges and realise the opportunities for skills, talent and human capital development highlighted by the recommendations set out in the recent OECD review of Ireland's Skills Strategy. It would also respond to the very substantial impact of what the OECD review terms the "mega-trends" of digitisation, decarbonisation and demography helping to underpin Ireland's economic, social and environmental sustainability in the years ahead.

Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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119. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if he intends on setting up a dedicated fund within his allocation to the Higher Education Authority to fund courses that would be taught through the medium of the Irish language, in order to ensure that it will be possible to fully implement the Official Languages Act 2003; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25488/23]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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The Department distributes recurrent funding to the Higher Education Authority (HEA) for disbursement directly to the HEA's designated higher education institutions. The HEA distributes this funding as a block grant to the institutions. As autonomous bodies, the internal allocation of this funding, including expenditure on Irish-language education initiatives, falls to the individual institution.

The Higher Education Authority Act (2022) requires that institutions seek to promote the Irish language.

My Department sponsors the Conradh na Gaeilge initiative, ‘Gníomhaí Gaeilge’ which is run in conjunction with the Union of Students of Ireland. It offers Irish language clubs and societies with skills and mentorship in developing the use of the language within Higher Education.

Under the auspices of the Minister and Department for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport, and Media aims to ensure improved public services through the Irish language. This is done through the Act's provisions and regulations that apply to all public bodies under the Act. The Department may have additional information in that regard.

Ultimately, however, Higher Education Institutions (HEI) are autonomous, and determine themselves which Irish-language courses will be offered. While my Department will continue to be committed to the implementation of the Official Languages Act, it is not within my remit to direct a HEI as to the courses they offer.