AONTAS Pre-Budget Submission 2027
Investment Where It Matters Most
Investment Where It Matters Most is the AONTAS Pre-Budget 2027 Submission, setting out five practical, evidence-based recommendations to strengthen adult learning, Further Education and Training (FET), and community education in Ireland.
The submission calls on Government to invest in learners, improve financial supports, expand access to inclusive education and recognise community education as a vital public investment that delivers benefits for individuals, communities and society as a whole.
Budget 2027: Our Five Recommendations
The AONTAS Pre-Budget 2027 Submission sets out five practical, costed recommendations
1. Invest in Further Education and Training (FET) by increasing funding by €59.62 million, supporting 224,676 learners and helping the sector meet growing demand.
2. Provide ringfenced, multi-annual funding for community education, increasing investment to €35 million over four years to give providers the stability they need to support learners and communities.
3. Reform learner financial supports by increasing learner allowances, restoring supplementary supports and establishing a €5.56 million FET Learner Assistance Fund to reduce financial barriers to participation.
4. Extend the Fund for Learners with Disabilities by increasing investment from €5.7 million to €19.1 million over four years, ensuring support is available across all FET provision.
5. Establish a €500,000 Shared Island Community Education Fund to strengthen cross-border collaboration and expand community education opportunities across the island of Ireland.