Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 8 December 2020
39. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if it will be ensured that agriculture students attending Teagasc colleges will be eligible for the same financial supports as other third level students. [41618/20]
View answerDeputy Funchion is unable to be here to take this question.
The Minister knows that if farming is to have a future, then we need to have a strong and robust agricultural education sector. Teagasc colleges and other such outlets provide an important output to train our next generation of farmers to meet the challenges they will face. They need to get the same support as all other students, however. How does the Minister plan to bring that about?
I know the absolute value of the body of trained young farmers who will revitalise our farming sector, as well as the absolute importance of our educational system in equipping them to farm in the most efficient, effective and sustainable way into the future and to underpin our agricultural sector. Crucial to that are our educational providers. Teagasc plays a strong and crucial role in that regard. I am committed to ensuring agricultural college students are treated fairly and the same as all other students.
My Department and Teagasc are working together ensuring that supports will be put in place to reflect the additional challenges on students as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic. A Covid payment is being made available to ease the financial burden on full-time students in the colleges. Students who qualify for the Teagasc maintenance grant will receive a top-up payment of €250. Students not in receipt of the grant will receive a fee rebate of €100 if they have paid the annual contribution charge of €990 for Teagasc level 5 and level 6 full-time courses. Overall, the foregoing is expected to benefit approximately 1,000 learners at a cost of over €200,000. I am confident that this package of measures will greatly assist Teagasc learners to adjust to the impact of Covid-19 in a manner no different to learners in the wider education sector supported through the Department of higher education.
I made this a priority in recent weeks and have worked closely with Macra na Feirme on it. I acknowledge its campaigning and advocacy on this particular issue with me to find a solution. Macra na Feirme has welcomed this warmly. I recognise the central role it played advocating on behalf of these students, many of whom members of it.
I also commend Macra na Feirme for highlighting this issue and ensuring it would not go away. The Minister knows I am an incredibly positive person and always welcome positive developments. I did so last week when it was announced that additional supports would be made available. I actually commended the Minister on his role in that. I expected he would play some role in the funding of it, however.
Only subsequently did I learn that the funding the Minister outlined is coming from Teagasc's existing budget so there was no additional funding provided by his Department or any other. This is not to say that the scheme, as it stands, is not welcome. What it says to me is that we can go further. We can ensure that every student who attends an agricultural college course can receive the same level of supports, recognising they are all going through the same difficulties as a result of Covid-19. I would appreciate it if the Minister would outline whether he will endeavour to make sure that this will happen.
I thank Deputy Carthy. I assure him that the funding did come from the Government and, ultimately, from the taxpayer. Teagasc plays a very valuable role, which I strongly support and certainly, as Minister, it is one I prioritise. I ensured that it received an additional €4 million in the budget this year in order to support it. As the Deputy knows, that €4 million came as part of an 11% increase I secured for the farming sector in the budget over and above last year in order to try to ensure we underpin farm incomes and try to support farmers throughout the country. I recognise the tremendous effort Teagasc has gone to, working with me and the Department, taking on board the efforts of Macra na Feirme and representations from the students to ensure those students would be treated fairly and proportionately in the same way as other third level students have been. This was very important and I recognise the work of Teagasc in that. I will continue to support Teagasc in the very important work it does by means of funding from the Exchequer.
The Minister did not answer my question on those students who will not receive supports under the package that has been announced. We need to have a holistic view of agricultural education. At present, there are disparities. It is not that there are too many agencies involved, it is that they do not appear to be working together. The Minister for Education has simply dismissed concerns of the Irish Agricultural Science Teachers Association, which has raised genuine concerns. The Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science apparently just washed his hands entirely when the issue of disenfranchised students attending agricultural colleges was raised with him. He fobbed it off to the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine. Now we have a situation whereby Teagasc is being asked to provide finance to students out of its existing funds. For all other students it is coming out of the Department of Education funds. Will the Minister outline to the House whether he has proposals to have a full overview of the agricultural educational system as it stands to ensure it is robust and fit to meet the challenges we know will face Irish agriculture in future?
I thank Deputy Carthy. I can reassure him, and he will be glad to hear, there was no hand washing on agricultural or Teagasc students. I certainly stepped up to the plate and worked with Teagasc to ensure that they would be supported. I also ensured that Teagasc would continue to be supported in the important work it carries out in the recent budget. The fact this funding was in place has been very welcome. I should point out it is alongside some funding for laptop provision for students at agricultural colleges, which is also something on which Teagasc worked with me. I commend Teagasc on how it has worked with students in this regard. It does exceptional work in a very hands-on practical manner in training our farmers and providing very high quality certified courses to ensure we have a very strong and fully educated young farmer base coming into renew our agricultural workforce. I assure Deputy Carthy I will continue to work with Teagasc to support those students in the important educational remit it has in the time ahead.
