Maeve O'Connell (Dublin Rathdown, Fine Gael)
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26. To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if his Department has had any engagement with the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science regarding the changes to the national training fund, and how it may affect businesses. [61623/25]

Peter Burke (Longford-Westmeath, Fine Gael)
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The National Training Fund (NTF) has a valuable role to play as Ireland faces critical challenges in responding to the skills and workforce development needs arising from major global disruptors including the digital and climate transitions, demographic change, and deglobalisation. My Department has been engaging closely with the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science in recent years to explore ways to unlock the NTF surplus and embed continuous skills development in the labour market. In light of the range of competitiveness challenges Ireland currently faces, it is essential that employers, employees, and those seeking employment have access to appropriate learning and development supports.

The NTF funding package agreed as part of Budget 2025 will ensure essential investment in the tertiary sector over the next six years. This funding package includes capital funding which required an amendment to the National Training Fund Act. The funding will be channelled through agencies of Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science (DFHERIS) as these agencies provide the main levers for investment in skills and training in Ireland. Over the course of this year, officials from my Department have been in regular contact with colleagues from DFHERIS as proposals were made and drafting begun for the National Training Fund (Amendment) Bill 2025.

The proposed investment is fully aligned with the skills needs of the enterprise sector including the client bases of IDA Ireland, Enterprise Ireland, and the Local Enterprise Offices, and will play a crucial role in future-proofing the Irish economy and safeguarding employment and the workforce from significant global disruptors. I welcome the recognition that there should be consultation with my Department and Enterprise Ireland to ensure skills interventions are aligned to industry needs and the needs of indigenous enterprise.

Officials from the Labour Market and Skills Unit in my Department are participating in a steering group that is working with the ESRI on an evaluation and monitoring framework for the National Training Fund. I fully support the work of the ESRI and I look forward to reviewing this research when available. In light of the scale of the NTF, it is essential that we get better information on the impact of schemes – whether that be upskilling those in employment or training for those who wish to acquire skills to take up employment. Following the recent legislative changes to the NTF, it will be important that we continue to monitor the impact the NTF is having on skills in the labour market.