116. Deputy John Paul O'Shea asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the targeted investment that is being provided by his Department to expand further education, apprenticeship, and skills training capacity in Cork North-West; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37626/26]

My Department is committed to supporting a Further Education and Training (FET) sector that enables individuals to succeed, strengthens economic growth, and equips the workforce to meet future challenges, while supporting strong communities.

This commitment is underpinned by a significant investment in FET in 2026. SOLAS, as the statutory authority, is responsible for distributing funding across the sector, including allocations to individual Education and Training Boards (ETBs). In 2026, a total of over €1.236 billion (excluding capital) has been allocated to SOLAS. Of this, more than €1.077 billion of non-capital funding being distributed to ETBs, which deliver the majority of FET provision.

Neither my Department nor SOLAS allocate funding based on specific geographic areas, such as Cork North-West. Of relevance however is that SOLAS has allocated over €102 million to Cork ETB in 2026, representing an increase of more than €6 million compared to 2025. It is the responsibility of Cork ETB to allocate this funding across the county, in line with local needs and priorities.

Cork North-West is primarily served by Cork ETB’s campuses in Mallow and Charleville. Between these locations, almost 350 Post-Leaving Certificate places are available, offering QQI L5 and 6 qualifications in programmes such as Early Learning and Care, Healthcare, Pre-Paramedic studies, Nursing and Animal Care. In addition, the Mallow Campus provides apprenticeship training in Carpentry and Joinery (Phases 4 and 6) as well as Hairdressing.

Cork ETB also operates twelve Youthreach Centres, which provide education and training opportunities for young people, aged 15-21years, who are no longer engaged in mainstream education, offering a pathway to further education, training and or employment. Within the Cork North-West region, Mallow Youthreach offers 30 places, while Macroom Youthreach offers 20 places.

Under the Strategic Infrastructure Upgrade Fund (SIUF) for the FET sector, the project for Mallow provides for the delivery of a new facility on the site of the existing Mallow College of Further Education site. The project is currently at the design stage with ongoing engagement between the Department and all other stakeholders

Finally, funding allocations, as agreed by Government through the Budget and set out in the Revised Estimates for Public Services, are clearly defined. It is the responsibility of SOLAS and the ETBs to manage and operate within these allocations.