Violet-Anne Wynne (Clare, Independent) | Oireachtas source

Before the recess, the Shannon Estuary economic task force report was launched in Ardnacrusha. This terrific plan seeks to inject a new lease of life into many areas of the mid-west. I commend the excellent work of all who gave their time freely to put it together. The report highlights several opportunities and cites the potential to create approximately 50,000 new jobs over the next 15 years. It is vital that we grab this opportunity by both arms and inject this sorely needed employment into County Clare. In this vein, it is essential that people with the relevant skills are trained and ready to go as locally as possible. Third level education has been delivered to Ennis and Shannon; now it is time to be ambitious and go further west. A satellite campus in west Clare that would be a centre of excellence for training and apprenticeships with respect to the erection and upkeep of our floating offshore wind capacity would be a strong asset to the further and higher education offering in the mid-west. I ask the Minister to engage with the relevant stakeholders - me, my Oireachtas colleagues in County Clare, our councillors, TUS and the ETB - to create this facility, which would revolutionise and reinvigorate some of the energy in west Clare.

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