The importance that the Government attaches to agricultural education and training is reflected in the substantial resources it has provided to Teagasc in recent years to deliver first class education and training programmes and to provide student facilities on a par with those of comparable training institutes.
I have always held the view that training is just as important for a career in agriculture as it is for any other career and, accordingly, fostering agricultural education and training has been one of my most important priorities. In November 1999, I established a special task force, representative of all the major stakeholders, to review the training needs of agriculture in the context of the changing social and economic environment and to make recommendations, where appropriate, to address those needs. Arising from the task force's recommendations, several significant developments have already taken place in Teagasc's programmes which will transform agricultural education and training in this country.