Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)

I thank the Minister. It is very important that we record the importance of the further education sector. It was originally established to respond to the needs of the local community and the local economy. It has been an extremely important gateway for students and pathway to higher education. It has given so many people, who traditionally would not have had the opportunity, the opportunity to get an education beyond post primary. It has been extremely important in ensuring that more people, who may have come from homes where there was not a particularly heavy emphasis on education, see that pathway to forward their education to successful careers. I very much welcome the emphasis the previous Government and this one have placed on this sector. I have no doubt the Minister and the Minister of State, Deputy Harkin, will lead the sector very well. I again emphasise that the Cathaoirleach Gníomhach and I represent two Border counties. We are always very conscious of our neighbours in Fermanagh, Tyrone and Armagh and the potential there for further and more intense collaboration on a cross-Border basis.

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