Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

The Teagasc allocation increased by approximately €10 million in the 2022 Estimate. Last year, the total grant to Teagasc was €145 million, €139 million of which was for current expenditure. Its allocation has increased by approximately €8 million this year to €152.5 million. The biggest part of that increase, of which €3 million is current expenditure, is for capital expenditure, which has increased by approximately €4 million. The main dynamic and rationale behind that is the expenditure of €3 million for the national agricultural sustainability research and innovation centre in Johnstown Castle, which I mentioned in my opening address, and Ballyhaise Agricultural College in County Cavan, which I visited last week when I turned the sod on new student accommodation there. There is €1.5 million in the Estimate for this year towards that facility which will see the development of a new student block with 24 bedrooms to accommodate 50 students at an overall cost of €3 million, split between this and next year. This is a great facility and will be a very important investment in both the Deputy's region and my region. There is a strong allocation to Teagasc, for which funding has increased on both the current and capital expenditure side.