Naoise Ó Muirí (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael)
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582. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills for an update on plans to construct the Mayo College of Further Education at the Military Barracks in Castlebar; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40230/25]

James Lawless (Kildare North, Fianna Fail)
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SOLAS continue to support Mayo Sligo and Leitrim ETB (MSLETB) to progress its Preliminary Business Case proposal for Castlebar under the FET College of the Future Major Projects fund. The proposal is one of twelve projects that are currently being progressed under this fund.

MSLETB’s proposal involves providing a state of the art, purpose-built college building on a new site, which will allow for training in diverse fields such as Agricultural Technology, Life Sciences, Digital Technology, and Applied Research and Skills, providing high-quality facilities for learners and staff.

MSLETB's have recently submitted a business case to SOLAS to support the purchase of a preferred site for this project and following an evaluation process, approval has now been provided to the ETB to enter into a formal negotiation process. MSLETBs business case for the proposed infrastructure to be delivered on the site has also been received by SOLAS and is currently under evaluation.

SOLAS and officials from my department will continue to support MSLETB through the next stage of the development of its proposal. My department and I remain committed to ensuring there is appropriate infrastructure in place to meet the needs of FET learners and teaching staff in the Mayo area and broader region.