Maria Byrne (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

The other visits we had was to Technological University of the Shannon: Midlands Midwest, TUS, and with the apprenticeship programme for the Coonagh campus. There is the expansion of the apprenticeship programme, where 800 places will be offered to apprentices from next year, once the building is complete. Monday was a very welcome day. We also had a visit to the University of Limerick. It was a very productive day for education and for training. That is important to note. The more positive days and the more collaboration we see between education and industry, the better.

Finally, I visited members of the Ronald McDonald House in Buswells Hotel today. I pay compliment to them for the wonderful work that they do with families. I would encourage anyone who has not been there to go and visit them. They had three asks. The first of these was to advocate on their behalf, the second was to follow and support Ronald McDonald House Charities Ireland on social media and the third was to help them to share the story of the new 52-bedroom house, which will be at the new children’s hospital when it is built.At the moment, they have only 25 rooms. Doubling that number is to be commended.