Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 30 March 2023
99. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the level of capital funding available to his Department in 2023; the general areas which will benefit from such investment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15759/23]
Amharc ar fhreagraThere is €633m available to my Department in 2023 in capital funding. This consists of the NDP capital allocation for 2023 of €578m and in addition the carryover of monies from 2022 of €55m
The general areas that will benefit from this capital funding break down as follows:
- Research and Innovation (€297m)
- Higher Education Capital (€234m)
- Further Education and Training Capital (€60)
- Higher Education Public Private Partnerships (€40m)
- Higher Education Authority Capital (€1m)
- Corporate (€1m)
The revised National Development Plan (NDP) provides for Exchequer investment of nearly €2.9 billion in further and higher education infrastructure, research and innovation over the five-year period 2021–2025.
In respect of planned expenditure in 2023 in the higher and further education sectors, it is not possible to be specific with regard to the level of funding to be provided to each institution. This is because the budget is managed at an overall level, with profiles regularly updated to take account of the rate of progress of individual projects through design, planning, procurement and construction.
However my Department have plans to invest in ten FET Colleges of the Future, coupled with major investments in the Technological Universities through the TSSPF Programme, while also investing heavily in capital in supporting the training of a large expansion of apprenticeship places and supporting the purchases of key sites in both the Higher Education and Further Education areas.
