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______________________________________________
For Oral Answer on : 07/07/2022
Question Number(s): 63 Question Reference(s): 36680/22
Department: Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science
Asked by: David Stanton T.D.
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QUESTION


To ask the Minister for Further and Higher Education; Research; Innovation and Science further to Parliamentary Question Nos. 158 and 173 of 19 May 2022, if his Department has reviewed the 2023 funding provision to support Local Training Initiatives; if so, if he will outline the allocation approved; and if he will make a statement on the matter.

REPLY


The 2022 provision of €16.83m approved by SOLAS for Local Training Initiatives (LTI) in response to ETB requests, is broadly in line with the €16.53m approved for 2021.   This funding is expected to support almost 4,500 LTI beneficiaries and it will be reviewed during the year. The 2023 funding allocation for LTI will not be decided until the Further Education and Training (FET) budget for 2023 is finalised and SOLAS has considered the funding applications that will be submitted by the ETBs.

Training provision organised through LTI programmes is not intended to be permanent and it is this aspect, which provides ETBs with the flexibility to use their resources in the community effectively and in response to emerging needs.  LTI programmes enable local communities to carry-out valuable and necessary projects of benefit in their communities.  They are primarily designed for unemployed people, who are experiencing difficulty in gaining entry to the labour market. The importance of the role played by the LTI programme within its overall ETB provision is well-recognised.