10. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if he will outline the capital projects in the further education sector that will be progressed in 2025; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26306/25]

Sentiment score: 0.13

I very much welcome the emphasis placed on the development of the further education sector since the previous Government took office in June 2020. I spoke to the Minister's predecessors on many occasions about the opportunities that exist to develop the further education sector on an all-island basis, and particularly that there be a substantial capital programme. One of the projects of particular interest to me is the proposed development of a state-of-the-art campus in Cavan to provide additional permanent accommodation at Cavan Institute. I would be grateful if the Minister would give me an outline of the progress he expects to make with his capital funding this year.

Sentiment score: 0.55

I very warmly welcome the Minister's confirmation that progress is being made with this very important project for our constituency, as the Cathaoirleach Gníomhach, Deputy David Maxwell, will know. I hope the Minister will be in a position to visit Cavan Institute at an early date, and to visit Monaghan Institute. Cavan Institute been a very successful institute since its establishment. I was very much involved with the Cavan Institute in its early days. I was the first chair of the board of management of the college. I was also very much involved in getting the original building on Cathedral Road, which is no longer adequate due to increased enrolments over the years. Cavan Institute was the first dedicated post-leaving certificate college in the country. It has developed collaborations with colleges north of the Border too, which is very important. As the Minister outlined in his reply, the institute needs additional permanent accommodation. I am very glad that there will be such a range of classroom and other ancillary accommodation, plus sports facilities. I hope SOLAS will be able to drive this capital programme forward as urgently as possible. I am delighted the Minister has secured from the Department of public expenditure additional funding to bolster the capital budget. I know the work of the Cavan-Monaghan ETB, which the Cathaoirleach Gníomhach will know also, and this funding would be put to very good use.

Sentiment score: 0.41

I thank the Minister. It is very important that we record the importance of the further education sector. It was originally established to respond to the needs of the local community and the local economy. It has been an extremely important gateway for students and pathway to higher education. It has given so many people, who traditionally would not have had the opportunity, the opportunity to get an education beyond post primary. It has been extremely important in ensuring that more people, who may have come from homes where there was not a particularly heavy emphasis on education, see that pathway to forward their education to successful careers. I very much welcome the emphasis the previous Government and this one have placed on this sector. I have no doubt the Minister and the Minister of State, Deputy Harkin, will lead the sector very well. I again emphasise that the Cathaoirleach Gníomhach and I represent two Border counties. We are always very conscious of our neighbours in Fermanagh, Tyrone and Armagh and the potential there for further and more intense collaboration on a cross-Border basis.

Sentiment score: 0.30