Rose Conway-Walsh urges access to training fund and Ballyhonas centre
Rose Conway-Walsh spoke on higher and further education, arguing the State must tackle educational inequality, unlock the National Training Fund for businesses and deliver a further education and training centre in Ballyhonas. She warned that children from poorer backgrounds are far less likely to reach third-level education and urged the minister to ensure commitments are delivered.
Education and inequality
Rose Conway-Walsh highlighted a clear statistical link between childhood financial circumstances and third-level attendance - 64.1% for those from good financial circumstances compared to 38.7% for those from poor circumstances. She said many children from less well-off backgrounds do not reach their full educational potential and criticised the rise of paid grinds as a "shadow education system" that entrenches disadvantage.
National Training Fund access and delivery
She repeatedly pressed the government to unlock the National Training Fund so businesses can upskill and remain competitive, and noted she is glad this has been done. She warned that promises will be judged on delivery, emphasising it is unfair for businesses to contribute to the fund without being able to access it and urging clear, accessible provision for training identified by industry.
Industry engagement and AI investment
She recounted meetings with her colleague Conor Murphy and representatives from Meta, Google, Medtronic, Engineers Ireland and Skillnet Ireland, saying increased investment is needed to harness AI opportunities. She argued the higher education sector drives research and innovation that creates new industries and jobs, and referenced the Draghi report in calling for action to close Europe’s innovation and productivity gap, noting EU companies spend less on research and development than US counterparts.
Local training centre request for Ballyhonas
Rose Conway-Walsh renewed a long-standing request for a further education and training centre in Ballyhonas, County Mayo, describing the town as regularly cited as the most multicultural in Ireland. She said the facility would act as an economic driver and urged the minister to engage with the local community to ensure the centre is provided, noting the issue has been raised with previous ministers and that Solis was previously asked to look into it.
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Higher and further education plays a pivotal role in driving economic development, as we all know. The link between financial circumstances of children and young people can be statistically verified with those growing up with good financial circumstances, more likely to have a third level education compared to those who experienced bad financial circumstances in childhood, at 64.1% compared to 38.7%. Therefore we can say that there is a direct correlation between government intervention and the outcomes. So at this time there are too many children who do not reach their full educational potential. The majority of these children are from less well-off backgrounds, their parents cannot afford the grinds, that have become a shadow education system in this state. We have to create a level playing field. This needs to be rectified not only for the good of the individuals and their families, but for the good of the economy in these strained global economic times. The higher education sector provides the framework for research development with many innovations resulting in the creation of new industries, businesses and jobs streaming from the sector. For recent weeks I have met with my colleague Conor Murphy, with representatives from Meta, from Google, from Medtronic, from Engineers Ireland, as well as Skillnet Ireland. And at each of these meetings the need for increased investment to harness the opportunities provided by AI is discussed. The creation of new innovative companies and the ability to scale them is crucial for closing Europe's innovation and productivity gap, as highlighted recently in the Draghi report. I have asked the government many, many times to unlock the National Training Fund to enable businesses to upskill so that they can remain competitive. I am glad to see that that has been done. An awful lot of what has been committed to here, Minister, will be judged on will it be delivered because we have got fine words before in this space and it has not amounted to what it needs to amount to. And if we are to stay ahead of the curve in terms of our competitiveness and many other aspects, also if we are to deal with a huge growing inequality gap, there has to be delivery on these things. I do not think it is fair that businesses are contributing to the National Training Fund and building it up when they cannot get access to it. It is important that this be made accessible to businesses and for training, and also for what they have identified and what the need is. We know that EU companies spend significantly less on research and development than their US counterparts. I also want to raise with you, Minister, the need for provision of a further education and training centre in Ballyhonas in County Mayo. I have been asking this for years, I have raised it a number of times, and with the previous Minister, and was told that Solis would look into it. Ballyhonas is regularly cited as the most multicultural town in Ireland. It needs a facility like this as an economic driver. So I urge Minister to engage with the local community there to ensure that that training centre is provided for.
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