Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 27 February 2024
39. Deputy Joe Flaherty asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science to provide an update on plans for development of Longford Westmeath ETB further education campus in Longford town; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8777/24]
View answerMy Department works collaboratively with all Higher Education Institutions and Education and Training Boards on the development of capital projects in line with their established masterplans. Longford-Westmeath ETB recently prepared a first edition of their Estates Strategy which identifies Longford as one of 3 locations, alongside Mullingar and Athlone, for development of FET campuses. Longford College of Further Education offers a number of FET courses at NFQ levels 5 and 6. Some of the key areas include Business Studies, Beauty Therapy, Engineering Technology, and Nursing Studies. If people would like to progress to higher education, these courses can provide that pathway.
I am aware that SOLAS has been working with Longford-Westmeath ETB in respect of the development of the Longford FET campus across several capital project streams including:
• Utilisation of Devolved Capital Grant funding on the campus to support improvements in quality and alignment with Just Transition funding; Just Transition funding was granted to convert a building on the former Connolly Barracks site in Longford into a location for a variety of FET learning uses, including supporting former workers affected by the closures of Bord na Mona sites and associated activities to upskill and reskill in emerging sectors, including those aligned with the digital literacy intent of the Adult Literacy for All strategy. The building is in need of additional repairs and SOLAS and my Department are working with Longford Westmeath ETB to prioritise appropriate and targeted use of Devolved Grant and Emergency Health and Safety Works allocations to address this.
• Emergency Health & Safety works relating to learner mobility and movement on campus; and
• The expansion of apprenticeship provision in the region. A building on the Connolly Barracks site is being converted into four electrical workshops which will assist with the national effort to address the apprenticeship backlog while increasing utilisation of existing classrooms on the campus.
Regarding the FET Devolved Capital Grant, I wish to advise the Deputy that Longford Westmeath ETB received €553,159 in 2021, €725,947 in 2022 and over €1.5 million in 2023 across all its campus locations.
