Gareth Scahill (Fine Gael)

I rise this morning to talk about a good news story this week in Roscommon, which is the launch of a tertiary route to general nursing in Castlerea. The Galway and Roscommon Education and Training Board and the Atlantic Technological University, ATU, have launched a new tertiary access route to general nursing. The programme is delivered through the further education and training centre in Castlerea, offering QQI level 5 awards in nursing studies. It is the first of its kind in Roscommon, providing a free and flexible path to a BSc in general nursing at the ATU in Mayo. It is a very important thing to highlight. I commend the education and training board in Castlerea on creating this course for next September. It supports learners of all ages to build confidence, gain qualifications and pursue a career in nursing. It is community-focused and the programme also contributes to the national effort to address the shortage in qualified nurses. It also reduces the need for people to travel and cuts the cost for local learners.

I have spoken here numerous times on apprenticeships and alternative ways of learning. When a programme like this is created and made available locally it must be acknowledged. It was launched last Tuesday, 29 April. I encourage people across the west of Ireland to look at it as an option for getting into nursing.