Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister of State for his reply. I sincerely hope that the proposal from Cavan and Monaghan ETB will indeed be considered in detail and subsequently approved. It will not be acceptable to anybody in Cavan-Monaghan if we do not have our own training remit. We are fortunate that in the past two decades we have built up a very good further education structure in the area. For example, Cavan Institute received a completely new premises in the early 2000s. In 2009, an education campus was approved for Monaghan town, incorporating the Monaghan Institute of Further Education and Training. Our concern is to maximise the potential of those two facilities. We have the leadership within the education and training board and at official level, supported by the members of the committee and Oireachtas Members representing the area.

Louth and Meath as a two-county unit would have more than double the population of Cavan-Monaghan. There is no question that if we are the lesser element in a situation where training is delivered in a four-county basis, then we will suffer. We do not want to see that happening. As spokesperson on education for my party, I supported the Government's proposals for new further education structures, involving a greater synergy and the merging of some of the functions of the former VECs. However, we must ensure that the implementation of these proposals affords every area the opportunity to maximise training opportunities and ensure there is access to placements for people in the area.

The Minister of State told the House yesterday, in response to another Topical Issue, that 33 VECs have been replaced by 16 education and training boards, with the latter having "full responsibility" for the planning and delivery of education and training in their areas. He also highlighted, as we all have done in the course of debates on this issue, the need to have local input and the capacity to react to the local market and business needs. That will only be achieved in Cavan and Monaghan if training is provided by our own education and training board. I sincerely hope the Minister of State will ensure that the detailed proposal put forward by the training board is approved. It envisages a realistic timescale and will not involve any disruption during 2014. We need the proposal to be approved.

See this speech in context