Dáil debates

Thursday, 2 June 2022

Higher Education Investment and Costs: Statements

 

3:05 pm

Photo of Thomas PringleThomas Pringle (Donegal, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I am grateful for the opportunity to speak on this today. I would like to take this opportunity to welcome the establishment of the Atlantic Technological University, ATU, which comprises Letterkenny IT, including the Killybegs campus, Sligo IT and GMIT. I especially welcome the opportunities that this brings to the Donegal campuses. I attended the launch of the ATU in my home town of Killybegs recently. I am very excited about the potential of this campus. The catering college has been a huge feature in Killybegs for over 50 years now. Fishing is what Killybegs is known for, but the catering college has also been a central part of the town's development. It has been known to produce the best people for the tourism, hotel and restaurant industries. It has generated a lot of income to the town and attracts people nationally and internationally. Many of the students who come to Killybegs actually end up staying, working and starting families there. In that context, Deputies can understand the importance of the campus to the town and its development.

The opening of the college in 1969 created many opportunities for Killybegs and I am optimistic that the establishment of the ATU will continue to create such opportunities for the area. It should be an integral part of the ATU and its future development. I would hope that the ATU recognises the potential of the Killybegs campus and ensures that it is given the funding and focus necessary to make it a world class tourism facility. I would hope that the ATU also recognises Killybegs's capacity for development and growth. Killybegs has real potential to expand outward, and I would like to see this embraced and a commitment to this going forward. The Killybegs campus is an important resource and we should take advantage of this time of growth and change to reimagine the college’s future.

One of the great things about the Killybegs campus is that it offers part time courses, as well as upskilling courses. However, as far as I know, although it might be changing, these types of courses are unfortunately not eligible for funding and I strongly believe that this is something that should be looked at further. I have long been calling for SUSI reform and I am glad that the Minister also sees this need for reform. I support his intention to make it easier for students to access SUSI grants and to extend the eligibility to allow part-time students to access supports. There is also a need to include upskilling courses. People should be given every opportunity to upskill and further their education. This would not only benefit the individual, their employer or their industry, but it would also benefit the whole of society. It would especially benefit towns like my own Killybegs which has great upskilling courses available, but does not have the demand due to lack of funding. It would be a shame for such courses to be discontinued due to us failing to see the value of them.

I would also like to support the Minister's reduction of the distance for the higher non-adjacent student grant from 45 km to 30 km. Things like this make such a difference, both for students from Killybegs and students in Killybegs. Students would be less likely to travel between Letterkenny and Killybegs if they were not eligible for the higher non-adjacent grant, especially due to the rising price of petrol. This change is a massive benefit to the ATU and I would hope that the Minister continues to ensure all supports necessary are in place for the establishment of the ATU. I would also hope that the ATU will ensure that campuses such as Killybegs are being prioritised and ensure that their full potential is realised and developed. That is vitally important.

The creation of the technological university is a positive thing and has worked very well. It has potential to work fantastically for the whole west coast, working together. I am thinking of the campuses in Galway, Connemara, Castlebar, Sligo, Killybegs and Letterkenny. It works well how it is spread out through them. The potential is there. Obviously, it is going to be difficult to develop and will cost a bit more because it is on various campuses but that should be seen as an asset rather than a problem. The danger as funding becomes tighter is that it would be seen as a problem and that funding would be withdrawn. I hope that will not happen in this case.

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