Jen Cummins (Dublin South Central, Social Democrats)
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585. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the percentage increase in core funding to third-level institutions planned over the next three years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40313/25]

James Lawless (Kildare North, Fianna Fail)
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The provision of Higher Education funding on an annual basis, including the recurrent grant or core funding allocation, is part of overall expenditure management and budgetary policy for Government.

The published Revised Estimates Volume for Public Services 2025 provides for a recurrent grant allocation of €1,666,661,000 in 2025. This is broken down as €1,468,309,000 under subhead B4 and €198,352,000 under the Enterprise Focused National Training Fund allocation.

The Deputy will appreciate that it is not possible for me to provide an indication of any measures that may be introduced in Budget 2026, including details of core funding for the higher education sector in 2026. Nor is it possible for me to confirm what funding will be available in subsequent years. However, I can assure the Deputy that I will be seeking the best possible outcome for the tertiary and research sectors in the upcoming budget and in future years.

Jen Cummins (Dublin South Central, Social Democrats)
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586. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if any structured link-up programmes between local third-level institutions and industry are planned to support employment outcomes for new graduates. [40314/25]

James Lawless (Kildare North, Fianna Fail)
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My Department is committed to driving a skills ecosystem and skills agenda in Ireland which is agile and responsive to priority skills needs, to ensure Ireland has a skilled and productive workforce across businesses of all sizes and to encourage enterprises to avail of opportunities for their employees.

I am focused on working with the skills ecosystem, to ensure an adequate pipeline of skills to match business and enterprise needs and requirements in the workplace. The effectiveness and impact of the whole of the tertiary education system is enhanced when education and training provision, as well as broader upskilling and reskilling opportunities, are informed by the experience, insights and expertise of the enterprise sector. My department continues to engage with industry including through Skillnet Ireland, the National Skills Council and the Regional Skills Fora network.

I want to ensure that opportunities and pathways are visible and flexible, and align with the needs of enterprise in order to maximise quality employment outcomes for those engaging with learning. Providers work closely with enterprise to ensure that this is the case. Offerings such as Springboard+, Microcredentials and Microqualifications, and Skills to Advance all have this aim.