Limerick education and training visits
Senator Byrne highlighted positive ministerial visits to Limerick, including new digital-media investment, expanded apprenticeships at TUS Coonagh, and work at the University of Limerick. He praised collaboration between education and industry and also mentioned a further local visit.
I will speak today about a very positive day that we had in Limerick on Monday. The Minister of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science, Deputy Harris, and the Minister of State, Deputy Niall Collins, visited Limerick.
Senator Craughwell will be interested to know that Limerick College of Further Education made an announcement on the purchase of three buildings for a digital and media hub. That is most fitting, given their expansion by working with the likes of Troy Studios. Limerick is now becoming one of the biggest areas for film studios in the country.
We also learned about the retrofitting programme through the Limerick and Clare Education and Training Board, LCETB. There we met many trainees and apprentices who are almost ready to go out and work in the workplace on the retrofitting programme.
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The other visits we had were to Technological University of the Shannon: Midlands Midwest, TUS, and the apprenticeship programme for the Coonagh campus. There is the expansion of the apprenticeship programme, where 800 places will be offered to apprentices from next year, once the building is complete. Monday was a very welcome day. We also had a visit to the University of Limerick. It was a very productive day for education and for training. That is important to note. The more positive days and the more collaboration we see between education and industry, the better.
Finally, I visited members of Ronald McDonald House in Buswells Hotel today. I compliment them on the wonderful work that they do with families. I would encourage anyone who has not been there to go and visit them. They had three asks. The first of these was to advocate on their behalf, the second was to follow and support Ronald McDonald House Charities Ireland on social media and the third was to help them to share the story of the new 52-bedroom house, which will be at the new children’s hospital when it is built.
At the moment, they have only 25 rooms. Doubling that number is to be commended.