Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 1 July 2025
897. Deputy Donna McGettigan asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science for details as to the reason there has been no increase in recurrent grants paid of the estimated €1,105,000 for Maynooth University since 2022; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36018/25]
View answer898. Deputy Donna McGettigan asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science for detailed information regarding the decrease in skills grant payments for a college (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36054/25]
View answer899. Deputy Donna McGettigan asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science for detailed information regarding the decrease in the skills grant payments for a college (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36055/25]
View answer900. Deputy Donna McGettigan asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science for detailed information regarding the decrease in Skills Grant Payments for a college (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36056/25]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 897 to 900, inclusive, together.
I understand that the Deputy is referring to the Revised Estimates Volume for Public Services 2025 and the allocations under my Department’s B4 subhead.
The B4 subhead is used to fund current activities in higher education institutions. The provision of higher education funding on an annual basis, is part of overall expenditure management and budgetary policy of the Government.
In considering the specific matters raised, it is important to distinguish between recurrent funding allocations and the impact of supplementary or temporary provisions. Each year, my Department receives a core recurrent allocation that is considered as part of the annual Budget negotiations. Separately, my Department may receive additional allocations through supplementary funding that only applies in the calendar year to which it is received.
In 2024, funding for the B4 subhead amounted to €1,380,683,000. This figure was supplemented by a further €234,781,000, bringing the final 2024 allocation to €1,615,464,000. The additional supplementary funding was used to meet costs such as, once off cost-of-living measures, Ukrainian supports, and pay costs.
The funding for the higher education institutions to which the Deputy refers, can vary from year to year, depending on a number of factors. Funding is primarily linked to student numbers which can vary from year to year in each higher education institution. Some programmes, like the Human Capital Initiative, are temporary, time bound measures, where funding can vary from year to year, depending on the timing of when measures commenced in each institution and how the programmes came to a natural completion in the programme period. Some programmes, like Springboard, received a temporary increase in the funding available in 2020 to 2022 period, as a response to the Covid pandemic.
