Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees

Thursday, 19 November 2020

Joint Oireachtas Committee on the Implementation of the Good Friday Agreement

Cross-Border Further and Higher Education Sectors: Discussion

Photo of Niall BlaneyNiall Blaney (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank the committee for taking this matter at short notice. I also thank the witnesses for making themselves available at such short notice. It is great to have both of them available to us to outline the respective collaborations of Donegal Education and Training Board, ETB, and LYIT under the auspices of the north-west region and to hear an outline of their work since 2018. It must be said that the work on which these educational centres are collaborating sets a blueprint for Governments both sides of the Border. It is a blueprint that other Departments could and should be looking at, particularly in the areas of health, policing and cross-Border infrastructure. There is a lot that the shared island unit can learn from this venture.

I thank Mr. Hannigan for his comprehensive opening statement. From the point of the shared island unit, how can it be useful in moving forward the goals of LYIT? Is there potential for funding under the city status? I know Magee University is in receipt of funding because of its Derry city regional status. Under the auspices of the north-west city region, is there scope there for extra funding? Both of our witnesses have done a lot of work in the past with organisations and companies in their respective regions. This may, perhaps, be more pertinent to LYIT and the work its does with companies such as Zeus and Pramerica and how it has adapted programmes to meet those company's needs. I am not as up to speed on the work of Ulster University but I know it does a lot of similar work. In regard to previous collaborations, has either college ever found itself unable to meet the needs of a company in its region and passed over that collaboration to the other college? If not, is this something either colleges intends to do? Is this on the radar? I again thank the witnesses for making themselves available at short notice.

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