Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 17 November 2004
453 Mr. Hogan asked the Minister for Education and Science the position regarding the announcement made in 2000 to develop third level outreach facilities in County Monaghan; the progress which has been made to date; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [28893/04]
View answerIn August 2000, the then Minister for Education and Science, Deputy Woods, announced plans to strengthen the education base in areas particularly affected by the dual problems of non-completion at second-level education and low participation rates in higher education. The announcement referred to discussions regarding Wexford and Kilkenny. There is no record of any discussions regarding County Monaghan.
The Minister proposed to deal with the issue in Wexford and Kilkenny through the establishment of effective links with existing higher and further education institutions. In this context, it was decided to proceed with plans to develop outreach centres in Wexford and Kilkenny, led by the Institute of Technology Carlow and NUI Maynooth respectively. These centres are being developed on a pilot basis with the intention that proposals for outreach initiatives in other areas will be reviewed in due course in the light of the experience gained in Wexford and Kilkenny.
