Aisling Dolan (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Comhghairdeas to Senator Kyne as well on his new post as Deputy Leader of the House and leader of the Fine Gael group. I pay tribute to him because he has been involved so much in guiding and mentoring many of us, especially when we were new here way back. It seems a long time ago now when we first came in as new Senators. I also congratulate Senator Regina Doherty, who is our new MEP. She has done fantastically well and will now be working for us representing Ireland, along with our other MEPs, Nina Carberry, Maria Walsh and Seán Kelly. They will all be working for us on the Fine Gael side in Europe.

I mention the ETB sector as well, which held a meeting in Buswells Hotel yesterday. I ask the Deputy Leader to highlight some of the key asks from this sector. One concerned deputy principals in post-primary ETBs. As the spokesperson on education for Fine Gael in the Seanad, I highlight the need to provide supports to the ETBs to deliver the type of education we want to see at the post-primary level and in further education, as well, which is so crucial. We are promoting apprenticeships and seeing the roll-out in respect of TUS in Athlone and the ATU in Galway. These institutions are working to deliver strong apprenticeship programmes. We need to examine how we are supporting people of all ages who live in our towns. I refer to being able to roll out colleges of further education in our smaller towns. We are seeing these campuses, in the context of the new TUS locations, now being rolled out to our smaller towns. I guess that this is one of the key things in this context.

Additionally, I have been and am engaging with the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science, Deputy O'Donovan, around the need to have an apprenticeship centre in Roscommon town. We lack this in terms of the Galway and Roscommon ETB. I wish the councillors now joining the ETB well. After the local elections, they are now going to be representing their areas and fighting for this as well.