Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)

The Minister of State, in making those decisions, should also take into account the geographic ingredient. Counties like mine do not have ready access to institutes of technology. The Minister of State will be aware that geographically we are some distance from the nearest institute while other counties have the benefit of institutes of technology or higher level colleges.

I understand that there is excess teaching capacity in some of our institutes of technology. If so, can that additional capacity not be given to the PLC sector under the Croke Park Agreement?

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