Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science, James Lawless T.D., has secured Cabinet approval to bring forward legislation to amend the National Training Fund (NTF) Act. This move will unlock €1.5 billion in funding from the NTF’s existing surplus for Ireland’s tertiary education sector between 2025 and 2030.

The funding package includes:

• €650 million to boost higher education funding by €150 million by 2030.
• €600 million in capital investment for skills development, including healthcare, veterinary, and further education facilities, and enhanced support for research and PhD stipends.
• €235 million in one-off current funding for apprenticeships and skills programmes.

While Dublin Chamber welcomes this drawdown, we continue to call for the NTF to be permanently unlocked and for greater transparency around spending decisions. With the total surplus growing steadily, the funds must be fully leveraged to support skills development, SMEs, and Ireland’s future workforce.