Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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I thank the Ceann Comhairle for giving me an opportunity to raise this important matter on Topical Issues. As the Minister of State, Deputy Cannon, will know, the Cavan and Monaghan education and training board has submitted a detailed proposal to the Department of Education and Skills in respect of the delivery of training in Cavan and Monaghan from 2015 onwards. The Dundalk training centre has transferred to the Louth and Meath education and training board with effect from 1 July, but no arrangements have been finalised to confirm the Cavan and Monaghan education and training board's transfer share of the training function budget and the associated staffing. Through the new structures, an obligation quite rightly has been placed an the Cavan and Monaghan education and training board to deliver on its training function, as enshrined in legislation. The situation that exists at present is not satisfactory, to put it mildly. It is a cause of serious concern to the members of the education and training board in counties Cavan and Monaghan. Equally, it will be a matter of concern for learners, staff, people wishing to access training and local enterprises in both counties.

I understand every effort is being made by officials in the Cavan and Monaghan education and training board to make progress with the necessary proposals, in conjunction with the Louth and Meath education and training board, but there has not been a satisfactory outcome to date. I want to make it clear that this lack of progress cannot be attributed in any way to the Cavan and Monaghan education and training board. In that context, I can inform the House that the Cavan and Monaghan education and training board has submitted detailed proposals to the Department about the transfer of training functions, the migration of information and communications technology systems, the transfer of the budget from 2015 onwards, the transfer of five further education and training staff from Cavan and Monaghan education and training board from Dundalk training centre, the provision of additional further education and training staff for Cavan and Monaghan education and training board and the proposed planning schedule. Each of those proposals was fleshed out in great detail in the submission the Cavan and Monaghan education and training board made to the Department.

The Cavan-Monaghan area has been very fortunate over the years because the committed and diligent officials in the former VECs, and now in the education and training board, have worked extremely hard to deliver the progressive policies and programmes under their remit. We are fortunate that Mr. Martin O'Brien is the chief executive of the education and training board. I would also like to mention the work of Mr. John Kearney, who is the board's further education and training officer. Mr. O'Brien, Mr. Kearney and all of their staff want to deliver training as they are obliged to do under the legislation passed by the Oireachtas in the last two years. They have not yet received full engagement from the Louth and Meath education and training board. This matter has been raised by my party colleague, Senator Diarmuid Wilson. My constituency colleague, Deputy Joe O'Reilly, who also has been very active on this issue shares the views I am expressing this evening. I hope the Minister of State can give me an assurance that the training functions that have been devolved to the education and training boards will be assigned to the Cavan and Monaghan education and training board. The representatives of those two counties want to ensure the board is in a position to deliver training, upskilling and support to the people who need to access it at local level.

Ciarán Cannon (Galway East, Fine Gael)
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I thank the Deputy for raising this matter and for giving me an opportunity to outline to the House the position regarding the delivery of training in Cavan and Monaghan from 2015 onwards. Through a series of Government decisions, it was decided to replace the 33 vocational education committees with 16 new entities, to be known as education and training boards or ETBs, and to establish SOLAS to replace FÁS. As part of the reform of the further education and training sector, as the Deputy has said it is envisaged that the ETBs will play a key role in delivering further education and training in an integrated manner. This involves the transfer of training centres from SOLAS to the ETBs. Seven training centres and their staff transferred to ETBs on 1 January 2014. A further 12 training centres transferred to seven ETBs earlier this week, on 1 July. Each training centre, including the training centre in Dundalk, moved to the ETB of the functional area in which the centre is located. Five ETBs, including Cavan and Monaghan ETB, did not receive a training centre. The Education and Training Boards Act 2013 makes no distinction between the 11 ETBs that are receiving centres and the five that are not. All 16 ETBs must ensure the delivery of education and training. This reflects the Government decision. The question to be considered by the five ETBs that did not receive training centres is how best they can deliver on the Government commitment.

There have been extensive discussions on this matter between the ETBs, SOLAS and the Department. Under the agreed position for 2014 that is in place, ETBs with training centres will retain primary responsibility for training and continue to provide services to areas which do not have training centres. The position for 2015 and beyond is under consideration at present. The ETB-SOLAS programme board, which is responsible for the stewardship of the ETB-SOLAS reform programme and is chaired by the Secretary General of the Department, agreed that a project should be established to examine the most likely options for a longer-term solution for the five non-training centre ETBs. A group comprising representatives of boards that are receiving training centres and boards that are not, as well as SOLAS and the Department, has been put in place and has concluded that each non-training centre ETB should engage with those ETBs having or receiving training centres and with SOLAS. This engagement should involve each non-training centre ETB preparing a joint proposal with the other ETBs, informed by the support of SOLAS. My Department is committed to assisting Cavan and Monaghan ETB in carrying out its role in the provision of further and training services. To this end, it invested more than €15 million in capital works in the Monaghan Institute of Further Education and training last year.

In addition, in January of this year, approximately €100,000 was provided for works at the Castleblayney Youthreach centre.

On 24 June, my Department received a proposal from Cavan and Monaghan Education and Training Board regarding the delivery of training in those counties from 2015 onwards. This proposal, together with other proposals received regarding the delivery of training in the areas covered by the five ETBs which did not receive training centres, is being considered in my Department.

Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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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.

Ciarán Cannon (Galway East, Fine Gael)
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I stand over all the points I made yesterday. If the new structures for the delivery of further education and training are to work effectively, they must reflect the needs of learners within a particular region as well as the needs of industry and enterprise within that region. That is why we have given significant autonomy to each ETB to determine the type of training and further education to be delivered within its area. The paramount consideration for my Department in this and all matters relating to further education and training is to ensure the best and most meaningful intervention and support for each individual seeking that support.

I take on board what the Deputy and his Oireachtas colleagues in Cavan-Monaghan are saying on this issue. I agree it is desirable that certainty be brought to the position for 2015 and beyond well in advance of the end of this year. I assure the Deputy once again that the proposal put forward by Cavan and Monaghan ETB is receiving active consideration within my Department.