Joe Cooney (Clare, Fine Gael)
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2734. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the current offerings available at an education centre (details supplied); the supports provided by his Department to the expansion of higher education provision at the facility; and the future plans in place to support such an expansion. [47024/25]

James Lawless (Kildare North, Fianna Fail)
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The Ennis Campus of Technological University of the Shannon: Midlands Midwest (TUS) provides education in Social Care Work: the Level 7 BA and the Level 8 BA (Hons).

In April 2025 the government agreed a nation-wide expansion in disciplines related to Health and Social Care Professions by an additional 461 student places; 310 of those places were introduced this September. I appreciate your question was specificially in relation to social care education provided by TUS and I can confirm that the University has agreed to expand the number of places on their postgraduate social work provision over the next three years:

• September 2025 - an additional 15 places.
• September 2026 - an additional 5 places.
• September 2027 - an additional 5 places.

For future development, in June of this year I announced the Technological Enhancement Fund (TEF), which will make up to €65.8m available over a 36-month period to Technological Universities as well as Institutes of Technology and specialist colleges.