Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees

Thursday, 8 July 2021

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills

Reopening of Further and Higher Education Institutions: Discussion

Mr. John Kearney:

I will come in on behalf of further education and training, FET, service delivery. All of our preference is that we would have a significant on-site presence but whatever challenges will come our way, we can look back with confidence at what we have dealt with successfully over the past 16 months. In that regard, I would, in line with previous speakers, point to our ongoing collaboration with the Departments responsible for education, SOLAS and the union stakeholders. Challenges came at us quickly, including the lockdown in October last year and the revised lockdown in January. FET services have continued to reopen since the middle of March. Changes were necessary as the situation evolved and we were successful and competent in our stakeholder engagement. That gave us the confidence to take on whatever challenges came thereafter. Notwithstanding the fact that we would prefer to be on site, we are confident we will be able to deal with whatever comes at us over the next couple of weeks and months, however difficult and challenging.

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