Joe Flaherty (Longford-Westmeath, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

There was great excitement in Longford this week with the confirmation of the allocation of €10 million plus in URDF funding. It has come a number of months after €1 million was allocated to the Longford-Westmeath Education and Training Board, ETB, to develop a digital learning hub in Longford. The ETB is located on the Battery Road in Longford. It is at the very heart of the Camlin Quarter regeneration plans and it currently services 150 post leaving certificate, PLC, students there. There is a fantastic opportunity now for the ETB to develop a state-of-the-art third level campus in Longford town. There is a great tradition of construction in Longford, and the hope and expectation is that we can develop a purpose-built college for apprentices in the construction trade in Longford. For far too long, Longford has been in the shadows and this week we have finally started to emerge from those shadows. I certainly believe that such a campus would represent a new start and a new direction for Longford. I appeal to the Minister and the Minister of State to engage their the Department and Longford-Westmeath ETB to push ahead with what is doubtless an ambitious project, which at the same time could represent a landmark change in the delivery of education in County Longford.

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