Shortfall in CMETB’s learner funding raised by Conaty at council

The €2m shortfall in CMETB’s further education and training budget that has caused the cancellation or postponement of more than 130 adult education classes throughout the two counties was raised at the last Cavan local authority meeting, where discussion on capital expenditure focused on the recently announced student phone “pouches”.

It emerged at CMETB’s September meeting that increased demands, coupled with pay agreements and associated arrears, meant there was 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 programmes to meet demand, particularly for English to speakers of other languages (ESOL) to new communities arriving to Ireland.

The issue was particularly impactful to CMETB because of its strong focus on adult education and high learner numbers in that regard.

“These classes are so important for people,” said Sinn Féin’s Stiofán Conaty, speaking at the meeting of Cavan county councillors.

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

He added too that many teachers, facilitators and educators “depend on these classes” for income, and have undertaken their financial planning for Christmas and the New Year on the back of them.

Cllr Conaty went on to criticise the response of Minister of State at the Department of Further and Higher Education, Niall Collins, when questioned about the issue by Cllr Conaty’s party colleague, Matt Carthy TD, on the floor of the Dáil.

The Ballyhaise representative said that Minister Collins “appeared to blame” the board and the locality for the current problems faced. “This is not helpful and does nothing to fix the problem. The department has apparently pursued a policy of telling CMETB that, under no circumstances, must they cut any services, while in the same breath refusing to allow the board to make use of an overdraft facility to ensure the continuation of the services.”

Cllr Conaty concluded by describing an expenditure of €2m as a “drop in the ocean for this free-spending government” compared to the “lavish outlays” witnessed in budget 2025.

“They should now do the right thing and come up with the funds to cover CMETB’s shortfall, to ensure the restoration of these adult education classes.”

Independent Ireland's Shane P. O'Reilly, a former ETB member, said education is “foremost” to everything that the local education and training body does, and the adult classes its “lifeblood”.

“It’s the greatest load of nonsense,” Cllr O’Reilly said, lambasting the €9m set aside for student mobile phone pouches in budget 2025, adding that he went to a supermarket recently where he could buy 25 zip-lock bags for €2. “That’ll save a heap of money!”

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

“The department should hold their head in shame,” said Cllr O’Reilly.

Cllr Conaty’s party colleague Damien Brady supported the motion, telling the meeting that, if the local ETB used an overdraft facility to plug the funding gap, then the problem would be transferred onto the year ahead. “I hope they find the funding somewhere.”

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

Regarding the pouches, as a teacher in a school which adopted them two years ago, she said they had been revolutionary in helping students focus. She said the investment was for “future generations”, and said it “should not be the role of a teacher to get a pupil to give up their phone, to get into an argument, to have to then deal with the principal, call in parents. How much time has to be wasted?” She asked.

Cllr Smith then went off track from the debate challenging also the “misinformation” spread about sex education on the SPHE curriculum.

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

With regards to SPHE, the latter felt that people opposing the subject matter being proposed shouldn’t have their opinion “shouted down or derided”.

Back to the initial debate and Independent Brendan Fay said he had sat on interview panels for courses all summer, and reflected on the wider impact the cut on adult education courses would have on local groups such as Men’s and Hens’ Sheds.

“It’s the learners who have been left out to dry in all this,” said Cllr Fay, describing the positive impact such courses can have on the lives of people as being “unreal”.

Cllrs Patricia Walsh (FF) and Cathaoirleach T.P. O’Reilly (FG) also contributed and backed the primary crux of the motion.