Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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63. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills his plans to enhance co-operation between colleges of further education and colleges of a similar status in Northern Ireland; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43181/20]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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I am strongly committed to cross-border collaboration, and there are many areas where enhanced co-operation makes sense.

There is already a strong network of collaboration between the 6 Regional College in Northern Ireland and our Further Education providers. For example, colleges under Donegal ETB work closely with the North-Western Regional College in Derry to provide support to local industry and students to respond to the skills needs in that region. This is a practical response, not just to regional demands, but also to the efficient use of resources within the education sector on both sides of the border.

I will be looking at what more can be done, including in the context of instruments such as the PEACE PLUS programme, to further enhance this cross-border activity in this area.