The establishment of a centre for apprenticeships in Roscommon would help fill a significant local demand for skilled tradespeople.
That's the argument of Senator Aisling Dolan, who along with her Seanad Colleague Eugene Murphy, called on the Minister for Higher Education to back the plans.
The Galway Roscommon Enterprise and Training Board has already submitted a proposal to SOLAS, the national agency over education and training, for a two and half acre site in the heart of Roscommon town.
Following discussions in the Seanad Chamber yesterday, Minister Simon Harris gave his backing to the project and signaled his intention to visit stakeholders and visit the site.
Speaking in the Chamber, Senator Dolan described the impact that the shortage of tradespeople is having locally:
