Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 27 November 2014
48. Deputy Patrick O'Donovan asked the Minister for Education and Skills if she will consider the introduction of a capital fund for publicly-owned facilities and buildings operated wholly or partially by education and training boards, which provide courses for adult and further education and which would allow for essential repairs to be carried out in these buildings; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [45093/14]
View answerSOLAS currently receives a small capital budget which relates to the training centre network formerly managed by FÁS and now transferred to the Education and Training Boards (ETBs). This funding is now allocated by SOLAS as appropriate to the relevant ETBs managing the training centres.
While there is no dedicated capital budget for further education programmes a small amount of funding is allocated annually to ETBs in response to applications for funding for emergency works. This year over €1 million in such funding is being allocated.
The recent FET strategy suggested that a dedicated capital funding provision should be a feature of allocations to the ETBs in order to support changes set out in the strategy and the development of further education and training services to learners. This will be considered in the context of the overall capital funding needs of the education and training sector.
