Donna McGettigan (Clare, Sinn Fein)
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2714. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills his plans for capital investment in the higher education facilities in Kilkenny over the next three years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45607/25]

James Lawless (Kildare North, Fianna Fail)
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My Department works collaboratively with all Higher Education Institutions and Education and Training Boards on the development of capital projects in line with their established masterplans.

In 2024, my Department approved the creation of a new Bachelor of Veterinary Medicine and Masters in Pharmacy degree courses at the South East Technological University (SETU). SETU’s business case proposes that the long term delivery of these programmes will be enabled through the provision of new infrastructure at both the Glassworks site in Waterford City and at Teagasc, Kildalton College in Kilkenny. It is proposed that laboratory and teaching facilities will be developed on the Waterford site for both programmes with additional spaces developed at Kildalton College to enable the delivery of the Veterinary Medicine Programme, specifically anatomy and pathology training facilities.

In 2022, my Department launched the FET College of the Future Major Projects Fund (COTF) with the objective of addressing existing deficits in current FET infrastructure, supporting projects that drive reform of the FET sector, including consolidation of provision in high quality facilities. Under the COTF programme, Kilkenny and Carlow ETB (KCETB) put forward a proposal to develop a flagship facility on a newly purchased site in Kilkenny City. KCETB’s proposal has progressed to the Pre-tender - project design, planning and procurement strategy stage.