5. Deputy Gillian Toole asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the timeline for the single-phase delivery of the new campus for Dunboyne College of Further Education and Training, Dunboyne, County Meath, to be funded from as many relevant streams as possible, including but not limited to SOLAS, sports capital and national training funding. [26525/25]

Sentiment score: 0.14

I wish to ask both the Minister and the Minister of State the timeline for the single-phase delivery of the new campus for Dunboyne College of Further Education and Training, Dunboyne, County Meath, to be funded from as many relevant streams as possible, including but not limited to SOLAS, sports capital funding, national training funding and national development plan funding. This college began with 50 students and two courses and it currently has 1,300 students, 70 courses and 45 apprenticeships.

Sentiment score: 0.22

I thank the Minister of State for the updated information. I reiterate that this college is delivering. At various times in this Chamber, we have discussed the need for occupational therapists, speech and language therapists and the development of apprenticeship programmes, as well as construction studies. LMETB colleges can deliver that. This process began in 2015, when Dunboyne was added to the building list of the then Department of Education and Skills. Currently, the rent roll is just short of €100 million a year to 23 landlords. That includes transportation costs. It is unsustainable. The college is operating from an industrial estate where numerous health and safety issues arise. It is an absolute waste of money. I plead for the single-phase case because this process began in 2015 and there has been a lot of toing and froing with the Department. There has been significant engagement, including by staff members whose core function is the education of the students, whom they highly value.

Sentiment score: 0.12

We are absolutely united in the spirit of getting this project progressed. Again, I would push the case in this instance based on the financial implications and the history of the project. There is no doubt of the intention in the programme for Government, where the intention is to communicate, collaborate and encourage more interdepartmental and intradepartmental collaboration. That is why I make the suggestion for alternative funding streams so it is not just limited to the FET fund. On 24 February 2022, the Minister's predecessor and now Tánaiste, Deputy Harris, gave a commitment on record and on film, stating that he was delighted to confirm there is ring-fenced funding in place for the delivery of a purpose-built college for Dunboyne College. I am just asking for the honouring of the single-phase delivery of the project.

Sentiment score: 0.31