The funding is a joint investment by the Irish Government and the European Union under the European Social Fund Plus. €573 million will come from the Irish Government and €508 million from the European Union, for the period until 2027.

The following priorities have been identified for funding:

• access to employment
• skills and lifelong learning for all
• tackling poverty and social exclusion
• social innovation

More than €180 million will be spent on driving employment, with a particular focus on young people and the long-term unemployed.

A further €281 million will go towards upskilling, reskilling and promoting lifelong learning, including entrepreneurial and digital skills, and assisting with promoting professional mobility.

Among the new measures will be a €31 million investment in upskilling childcare workers, and an investment of €11 million investment in sport for social inclusion innovations.

More details are available here.