Seanad debates

Tuesday, 30 January 2018

Technological Universities Bill 2015: Second Stage

 

2:30 pm

Photo of Robbie GallagherRobbie Gallagher (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the Minister of State to the Chamber and thank her for her very comprehensive overview of the contents of the Bill. As my colleague has said, we in Fianna Fáil are very happy to support this Bill. We are happy with the part that we played in ensuring that amendments that we insisted were heard were taken on board, and I compliment the Government on listening to us.

The Minister of State has outlined the benefits of this Bill in great detail. One thing that stood out for me in her report concerned the need for these technical universities to reach out to the communities and regions in which they find themselves. That is of key importance. I welcome the fact that apprenticeships are going to form a strong part of that. It is vital that apprenticeships are looked at in more detail, and that we change our attitude and our views on them. It is also vitally important, as the Minister of State mentioned, that they reach out to small and medium enterprises, SMEs, in the regions. The technological universities are there not only to serve the business community, but also the people. There must also be a focus on lifelong learning, something of which we are all very much in favour.

For counties like Cavan and Monaghan, which unfortunately do not have institutes of technology and will not have technological universities, it is important that the role of the further education institutes such as the Monaghan Institute and the Cavan Institute is not forgotten. They have a key role to play in their respective communities. That is something on which I ask the Minister to focus. I call on her to keep them in mind and to consider how their roles can be increased and enhanced to better serve the communities and the regions in which they find themselves. The Monaghan Institute has led the way in that it has reached out to two global world leaders; Combilift, which is based in Monaghan, and Monaghan Mushrooms, another world-renowned company. The Monaghan Institute has reached out to those firms to see what skills they need in order to keep their businesses moving forward. As a result of that collaboration between all concerned, the Monaghan Institute teaches courses with those two companies specifically in mind.

That is the message that must be sent. We need to reach out to such companies and consider ways in which institutes like those in Cavan and Monaghan can be better expanded for the betterment of the community. Perhaps the Minister of State can comment on this.

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