Frank Feighan (Roscommon-South Leitrim, Fine Gael)

Recently, I was invited to launch a programme in co-operation with the Carrick-on-Shannon Education Centre and St. Angela's college and it struck me how suitable a location Carrick-on-Shannon would be for a third level centre. It would need the Government's support. The Department of Education and Skills will publish the higher education strategy shortly. The collaboration between institutes of technology, universities and higher education centres seems to be at the strategy's heart. Does the Minister of State foresee existing educational facilities in smaller towns like Carrick-on-Shannon and rural towns having a role in developing these links?

Many years ago, there were many small towns in the area, but Carrick-on-Shannon has moved from being a county town to a regional town. It is the regional centre for Boyle, Ballinamore, Drumshanbo, Mohill, Elphin and Strokestown. It has grown significantly in the past ten years due to the upper Shannon renewal scheme. The town contains many houses and apartments of quite good build, but there is also a great deal of office space that could be rented or bought cheaply, for want of a better word. The Bank of America, in the form of its subsidiary, MBNA, is in the area and there is a great deal of employment. The River Shannon is a significant tourist attraction and many people are driving across the island of Ireland to avail of the hospitality in Carrick-on-Shannon.

However, the town's hotels need an economy of scale. The town needs an educational facility to copperfasten its tourism industry. If we got hundreds of students to live in the town, it would help the region. The town and its environs boast the Landmark Hotel, the Bush Hotel, many guest houses, Kilronan Castle, Lough Rynn and Lough Key Forest Park, which is a significant centre of tourist activity. I was involved in securing up to €10 million for the park, which has gone from strength to strength and is attracting more than 160,000 visitors per year.

Carrick-on-Shannon and its surrounds have moved to being a new regional area. A Government could endorse this move with the addition of a third level facility. What is the Minister of State's opinion in this regard?

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