Brendan Smith urges structured all-Ireland further education links
Brendan Smith called for intensified all-Ireland cooperation in further education, urging structured cross-border partnerships and sister-college arrangements. He said such arrangements would benefit students for generations and cited Cavan Institute as a model; the minister indicated interest and support through the shared island initiative.
Main proposition
Brendan Smith proposed that further education should be developed on an all-Ireland basis with structured cooperation rather than the current ad hoc arrangements. He argued that a formal framework would intensify collaboration and deliver long-term benefits for students across the island.
Example - Cavan Institute
Smith recalled chairing the first board of management of Cavan Institute, noting it became the first dedicated post-leaving certificate college in 1999. He described Cavan Institute as the leading further education provider in the southern border region and used it as an example for potential cross-border partnerships.
Structured cross-border partnerships
Smith recommended specific arrangements including a sister college model with similar institutes in Northern Ireland to drive cooperation and momentum. He stressed the need for collaboration and a more structured approach to deliver cross-border further education initiatives.
Government response and next steps
The minister acknowledged the point and indicated strong interest in a further education partnership under the shared island initiative. He confirmed support for local partnerships, noted work already underway on third level and research partnerships, and said a further education partnership would be looked upon favourably to bring greater structure to border-area cooperation.
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I have been raised with the Minister of Further and Higher Education, the need to intensify cooperation and collaboration on an all Ireland basis in the whole area of further education. Minister Harris, in fairness, has indicated strongly his interest in this specific area. In the context of the establishment of the new department and of the shared island initiative, I believe that further education could be a real beneficiary and its further development would be of major benefit to students for generations to come on a cross-border and all Ireland basis. At present, there is cooperation across a broader basis and an ad hoc basis, but I believe that in the context and going forward, we should have structured cooperation on an all Ireland basis. Cavan Institute, for instance, which I had the privilege of chairing the first board of management of that institute, became the first dedicated post-leaving certificate college in 1999. Cavan Institute is the leading further education provider in the southern border region. I believe that specific arrangements should be put in place that would intensify and lead cooperation on an all Ireland basis, on a cross-border basis, by having a specific sister college arrangement with similar institutes in Northern Ireland. It is an area that we need to drive forward with this in collaborative妈et that is the other part to be put together and give momentum to. Deputy Deputy Smith on further education. He has made a very good point. I think there needs to be more structured cooperation. Through the shared island initiative, we endeavouring to get the various education institutions together, and we will support local partnerships. I would be interested in a further education partnership. There is work underway in terms of third level partnerships, research partnerships, a further education partnership would be something that I would look favourably on, and we would, because I think, particularly in the border areas where there is a lot of cooperation, but it needs to be more structured, I would accept. We need to move on.
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