Deficit in CMETB educational funding, raised by Conaty in the city council

The €2 million shortfall in CMETB’s further education and training budget, which has led to the cancellation or postponement of more than 130 adult education classes in the two provinces, was raised at the latest meeting of local authorities in Cavan, where discussion over capital expenditure focused on the recently announced phone “pouches”.

At the CMETB meeting in September, it emerged that the increased requirements, combined with wage agreements and associated payment arrears, resulted in a shortfall for adult education in this year’s budget.

Despite not receiving additional funding, the ETB did as it was asked in 2024 to provide more programs to meet demand, particularly English for Speakers of Other Languages ​​(ESOL) for new communities arriving to Ireland.

The issue particularly impacted CMETB due to its strong focus on adult learning and the high number of students in that regard.

“These lessons are so important for people,” Sinn Féin’s Stiofán Conaty said at the Cavan councilors’ meeting.

“They enable people to acquire new skills and on the dark, cold evenings of next winter they are an invaluable social outlet. Many people have embarked on a journey of further education through these courses, on a path to qualifications and degrees, only to be told that their progression is not possible and that the government will not step in to help them.”

He also added that many teachers, facilitators and educators “depend on these classes” for their income and have made their financial planning for Christmas and New Year based on that.

Cllr Conaty then criticized the response of Niall Collins, Secretary of State for the Department of Further and Higher Education, when Cllr Conaty’s party colleague, Matt Carthy TD, was questioned on the floor of the Dáil about the issue.

The representative for Ballyhaise said Minister Collins appeared to be “blaming” the council and the locality for the current problems. “This does not help or solve the problem. The department has apparently adopted a policy of telling CMETB that they should not discontinue services under any circumstances, while in the same breath refusing to allow the board to use an overdraft facility to ensure the continuation of services .”

Cllr Conaty concluded by describing a €2 million spend as a “drop in the bucket for this free-spending government” compared to the “lavish spending” we saw in the 2025 budget.

“They must do the right thing now and come up with the funds to cover CMETB’s deficit to ensure the recovery of these adult education classes.”

Irish independent Shane P. O’Reilly, a former ETB member, said education is “first and foremost” above anything the local education and training organization does, and that adults are its “lifeblood”.

“It’s the biggest nonsense,” said Cllr O’Reilly, criticizing the €9 million set aside in the 2025 budget for mobile phone pouches for students, adding that he recently went to a supermarket where he could buy 25 ziplock pouches buy for 2 euros. . “That saves a lot of money!”

He continued by saying that the person not talked about in the funding gap debate was the “learner”.

“The department should be ashamed of themselves,” said Cllr O’Reilly.

Cllr Conaty’s party colleague Damien Brady supported the motion and told the meeting that, if the local ETB used an overdraft to close the funding gap, the problem would be carried over into the coming year. “I hope they find the financing somewhere.”

Fianna Fáil’s Clifford Kelly described the current situation as “disastrous”, while Cllr Áine Smith said it was “very disappointing” for both students and teachers.

As for the pouches, as a teacher at a school she adopted two years ago, she said they had been revolutionary in helping students focus. She said the investment was for “future generations,” saying it “shouldn’t be a teacher’s role to get a student to give up their phone, get into an argument, and then have to argue with the principal.” have to settle, parents. How much time must be wasted?” she asked.

Cllr Smith then left the debate and also challenged the “misinformation” being spread about sex education in the SPHE curriculum.

“We will have to agree to disagree,” said Cllr PP O’Reilly (II); while Cllr S O’Reilly (Aon) still insisted the expenditure was a “waste of taxpayers’ money”.

With regard to SPHE, the latter was of the opinion that people who oppose the proposed topic should not have their views “shouted down or mocked”.

Back to the first debate and Independent Brendan Fay said he had been sitting on course interview panels all summer and had been thinking about the wider impact that cuts to adult education courses would have on local groups such as Men’s and Hens’ Sheds.

“It is the students who are being left behind in all of this,” said Cllr Fay, describing the positive impact such courses can have on people’s lives as “unreal”.

Cllrs Patricia Walsh (FF) and Cathaoirleach TP O’Reilly (FG) also contributed and supported the main body of the motion.