Seán Kyne (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Cathaoirleach's office for choosing this Commencement matter for debate this morning. I welcome the Minister, Deputy Harris, to the Chamber. As he will know, Galway Technical Institute's current provision is inadequate and would present challenges for any redevelopment it would need, including an underground car park. It has outgrown its current buildings and requires major refurbishment along with additional teacher spaces. It currently has rental accommodation and a number of dilapidated prefabricated classrooms on site which are no longer fit for purpose. The site is also an irregular shape and would require decamping for the duration of any construction work.

The proposal by Galway Roscommon Education and Training Board, GRETB, is to build a new state-of-the-art further education and training campus of approximately 20,000 m2. The proposed site would be on the grounds of the Galway Community College which would be 3 ha of land exiting onto the Tuam Road. An aerial shot of Galway will show a campus with plenty of space and room for further expansion. The rationale behind the new building is that it would provide a modern future-proofed building located on a site with capacity for further expansion. It would highlight and reflect the high level of education and training provided by GTI and GRETB. It would facilitate world-class technical and further education and training programmes which would ensure that learners would meet their full potential. It would have a flexible design approach to meet future demand and changing requirements.

As the Minister knows, the GTI's current programme includes art and design; arts; health and social care; business and law; fashion; hairdressing and beauty; IT and computing; media; sport; technology design and engineering. The new college would facilitate the consolidation of current GRETB post-leaving cert, PLC, courses and increase places for all current programmes being offered. It would provide further links with third level colleges. It would involve the creation of additional traineeships and over 2,000 apprenticeships and programmes in areas such as culinary arts, agriculture and horticulture. It would allow courses to be developed for the green economy, which is obviously a growing area, including: green procurement; heat pump technology; photovoltaic, PV, cells; energy management; heat recovery; and ventilation systems. It would enable the development of an elite football professional development course, the addition of animation programmes, development of the Erasmus+ programme and innovation hubs.

I think the Minister will agree this is an exciting proposition for further and higher education in Galway. I hope that the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science will be able to support the application. The GRETB has an application with the Department for a further education and training, FET, college of the future. It has submitted the funding request for construction of this new FET college of the future as part of the SOLAS and Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science capital application process, which I know is now with the Department.

Tá sé beartaithe ag an mBord Oideachais agus Oiliúna na Gaillimhe agus Ros Comáin campas nua breisoideachais agus oiliúna den chineál is nua-aimsearthaí a thógáil ar iarthar láthair Choláiste Pobail na Gaillimhe i gcathair na Gaillimhe. Tá iarratas ar maoiniú curtha isteach ag Bord Oideachais agus Oiliúna na Gaillimhe agus Ros Comáin chun an choláiste nua breisoideachais agus oiliúna don todhchaí a thógáil. Tá an t-iarratas sin leis an Roinn.

This is an exciting proposal for Galway city and county. We know the valuable work that the Galway Technical Institute does in providing those options for people outside the traditional third level approach. Sometimes it is a gateway to third level but more often it leads to a career in areas where people are badly needed. The existing facilities are not fit for purpose. This is an exciting proposal for a development within the heart of the city. In conjunction with the existing campus, it would allow for further expansion. It is proximate to the Atlantic Technological University and the University of Galway. I believe the project is worthy of investment and I ask the Minister to support it.