Donna McGettigan (Clare, Sinn Fein)
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439. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills given the significant surplus in the National Training Fund, how the Government intends to utilise these funds to address underinvestment in higher education and support strategic initiatives outlined in the Annual Options Paper. [28395/25]

James Lawless (Kildare North, Fianna Fail)
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The Funding the Future framework published in May 2022, outlines the vision for how higher education will be funded and how this will support students, employers and wider society. The framework identified an amount of €307m as representing the quantum of increase in core funding required to deliver enhanced performance, strategic reforms and strengthened quality of outcomes.

Over a number of years, additional core funding is being prioritised through the Estimates process in order to deliver on the increased level of funding identified in this framework and to improve system capacity to respond to national priorities.

Over the three budgets since the publication of Funding the Future, an additional €164.4m has been secured in Exchequer and employer funding with a commitment to deliver a further €100m per annum by 2030. The €164.4m figure includes €58.7m that was secured in Budget 2025.

The planned additional investment in higher education includes €650m in core funding that will be invested from the National Training Fund surplus between 2025 and 2030. This will see the annual core funding for the higher education sector increase by €150m per annum, by the end of the multi-annual investment period in 2030.

There is a requirement to amend the National Training Fund Act, 2000, to broaden the uses for which it can be deployed. My officials are currently working on drafting the Heads of Bill following recent Cabinet approval. I intend to bring the Bill to amend the legislation before the Houses of the Oireachtas later this year.