I recognise the importance of enhancing environmental and climate expertise within the planning profession. Indeed, it is clear that sustainability needs to be embedded in a whole range of disciplines in order to prepare learners for the world of work.
At the same time, it is important to recognise that it is higher education institutions and relevant professional regulators who are responsible for the academic content on higher education programmes. Neither I nor my Department have a role in this, but clearly the expectation is that institutions will be responsive to the evolving skills needs of the sectors they serve.
In line with Ireland’s Second National Strategy on Education for Sustainable Development, ESD to 2030, my Department has established a sectoral advisory group to support the further and higher education sector in exploring issues including best practice in embedding sustainability within programmes.
My Department liaises with the professional representative bodies of key professions, including the Irish Planning Institute, in order to discuss skills supply and demand. Discussions with the Irish Planning Institute were focused on supply and demand of professional planners in the broad sense, and not specific to those with environmental and climate expertise.
Funding is also provided under Springboard+ and the Human Capital Initiative for programmes that support the development of professionals in areas of identified skill need, including planning.
My Department and the tertiary education sector will continue to support and enable expansion of relevant courses to help equip planners with environmental and climate expertise through targeted funding and appropriate collaborations, to promote a responsive and well-prepared planning workforce.
