7.—(1) Whenever and so often as the Minister considers that it is appropriate that payments be made from the Fund in respect of a scheme referred to in subsection (2), the Minister may make payments from the Fund for that purpose of such amounts as are determined by him or her with the consent of the Minister for Finance.

(2) The scheme referred to in subsection (1) is a scheme the purposes for which it is established are—

(a)  to raise the skills of those in employment, or

(b)  to provide training to those who wish to acquire skills for the purposes of taking up employment, or

(c)   to provide information in relation to existing, or likely future, requirements for skills in the economy.

F12[(2A) The Minister may, for any purpose specified in subsection (1) and with the consent of the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, make payments to An tSeirbhís, and any payments so made shall be expended by An tSeirbhís for that purpose only.]

(3) The consent of the Minister for Finance under subsection (1) may be given in relation to amounts to be paid from the Fund in particular periods or by reference to the particular scheme referred to in subsection (2) in respect of which payments from the Fund are to be made.

(4) An amount to be paid from the Fund in respect of a scheme shall be so paid to the person or, as the case may be, one or more of the persons administering the scheme.

(5) With respect to the performance generally by the Minister of his or her functions under this section, the Minister shall, from time to time, consult with such representatives of employees and such representatives of employers as he or she considers appropriate.