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Minister Harris officially opens first phase of Cathal Brugha Campus for Further Education and Training

Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science Simon Harris has officially opened the first phase of the Cathal Brugha Campus for City of Dublin Education Training Board (City of Dublin ETB) today.

The Cathal Brugha Campus for Further Education and Training (FET) is a consolidation of Killester and Marino Colleges of Further Education, located across two campuses in Dublin 1: Connolly House, North Strand and the Marlborough Street block of Cathal Brugha Street.

The Marlborough Street Block is the first phase of the Cathal Brugha Campus development.

Speaking at the opening, Minister Harris said:

“I am delighted to be in the Cathal Brugha Campus of the City of Dublin FET College today to officially open this facility and to meet the young people who will benefit from the learning opportunities offered by City of Dublin ETB.

“My department has invested in excess of €4 million into this project to date, with further investment planned for the subsequent phases of development.

“The provision and consolidation of services at Cathal Brugha Campus enable City of Dublin ETB to enhance their range of full-time training and further education programmes in Dublin city centre, opening the door to exciting new careers and employment opportunities for young learners, adult learners and the wider community.

“This first phase of investment will make a real difference to the educational journey of students.

“This facility will give over 950 students access to, science labs and computer rooms; enhanced practical resources for learners across the school of Nursing Studies, Animal Care, Business, Journalism, Early Childhood Care & Education; provide enhanced workspaces to provide skills for employment in the care sector.

“The building has been digitally upgraded including a new IT network and enhanced Wi-Fi capacity with all classrooms including hybrid learning technology.

“The Education and Training Facility marks a significant development for learners and communities in the Dublin region, but also an important milestone in the evolution of FET facilities.”

Minister for Public Expenditure, NDP Delivery and Reform Paschal Donohoe said:

“I am pleased to attend the official opening of the first phase of the Cathal Brugha Campus, which is located in the heart of my constituency.

“I want to commend the City of Dublin Education and Training Board for delivering this Further Education and Training campus, which will provide a wonderful learning environment for those that use it.

“This year my department has committed €13 billion to fund infrastructure in areas such as housing, transport, education, enterprise, sport and climate action. Investments such as these, in further education and training, make a real and tangible difference to people’s lives, which in turn fosters social and economic development. I wish all involved in this worthwhile project every success for the future.”

Chief Executive of City of Dublin ETB Dr Christy Duffy said:

“Today, we celebrate the completion of the first phase of this exciting new campus and it is our pleasure to welcome Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science Simon Harris TD and Minister for Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform, Paschal Donohoe TD to the Cathal Brugha Campus.

“The Cathal Brugha campus offers a flagship City of Dublin FET College presence in the city centre. The refurbishment of the Marlborough Street side represents a significant investment and offers a city centre presence for our extensive FET provision which now spans across our 12 campuses that form part of the City of Dublin FET College.

“We look forward to welcoming many new learners to our Cathal Brugha campus as we offer an expanding range of courses that suits the changing further education and training needs of the people of Dublin city.”

Notes

Cathal Brugha Street/Marlborough Street property

The Cathal Brugha Street/Marlborough Street property was acquired by the Department of Education to meet the need for 1,000 additional post-primary school places in North Dublin City, per the 2018 announcement of a new school to serve the Drumcondra_Marino_D1 school planning area.

The acquisition of the Cathal Brugha Street/Marlborough Street property from then DIT (now TU Dublin) by the department completed in 2018, for €24.06 million. It was advanced under the Protocols for the Intra State Transfer of State Property Assets (DPER Circulars 11/15 and 17/16) and the consideration was set by the Valuation Office.

A copy of the agreed Memorandum of Understanding can be accessed here.

Meeting the Post Primary Need

The two planned new 1,000 pupil schools (for Clonturk CC and Margaret Aylward CC) will provide additional capacity well in excess of the new 1,000 pupil school announced in 2018. Relative to the 2018 enrolments, the expanded Clonturk CC and Margaret Aylward CC will provide over 1,600 additional co-educational, multi-denominational post primary school places in North Dublin City. Additionally, these new school buildings will facilitate 8 SEN classes.

Furthermore, the location of this provision at Whitehall is preferable to its provision at Cathal Brugha Street/Marlborough Street as it has advantages in terms of external areas, scope for expansion and in facilitating optimised layouts for school accommodation including provision for pupils with special education needs.

School details

Gaelscoil Áine, Roll Number 20517C

  • a new 8 classroom primary school to serve the Drumcondra_Marino_D1 school planning area was announced in 2018, to be established in 2019
  • following a patronage process, Gaelscoil Áine opened in 2019 under the patronage of An Foras Pátrúnachta and was established in interim accommodation in the OPW building known as Coláiste Chaoimhín, St. Mobhí Road, Drumcondra, Dublin 9
  • the school has an enrolment for the 2021/22 academic year of 70 pupils
  • the building project for this school will provide for 8 mainstream classrooms and two classrooms for pupils with special education needs, and will be expandable to facilitate potential future growth in enrolments
  • the school’s permanent accommodation is to be provided on the CDETB Whitehall site and the Department of Education is working to also make interim provision for the school on this site

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