Ibec has welcomed government investment in skills training and infrastructure announced in Budget 2025.
The employers group declared victory in its bid to “unlock” the National Training Fund, which is some €1.4bn in surplus due to record employment and PRSI receipts, calling the decision an “important and overdue step towards developing the necessary skills for a modern economy.”
In his Budget speech, Minister for Public Expenditure Paschal Donohoe said the NTF provides vital funding for skills and life-long learning, and confirmed €1.5bn in current and capital funding to 2030 for research, further and higher education, skills and development and decarbonisation.
More widely, Ibec said the Budget reflects the role business has played in creating the current surplus and that the package makes “the right signals towards a more realistic and sustainable path forward” for businesses concerned about rising costs.
“Budget 2025 reflects the incredible contribution businesses have made in creating the surplus that is enabling the government to be ambitious in …