Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I will certainly undertake to look into it because I know a little about it from my time in that Department. I was down in the Cork College of Further Education and Training and made aware of the horticultural course. I am trying to remember if I visited the actual facility in Skibbereen. I am not sure. I could have, because I was involved in a number of discussions about horticulture in Cork and I know there was a general level of excitement about the education and training programmes which saw a benefit to the regional and local economy.

In the first instance, I will relay the Deputy's concerns to the Minister of State, Deputy O'Donovan, and ask that he re-engage with Cork ETB on this. I will put to the ETB the Deputy's view that the decision is premature and there is more interest coming than it perhaps know. Let us ascertain that and see if that is borne out. I could also maybe ask the regional skills forums for the south-west region to have a look at course provision. I am conscious, when we talk about Cork in Dublin, that it is a big county. I am conscious that the idea of asking somebody to move from west Cork to Cork city is not viable. Let me take a further look at it and come back to the Deputy.

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