A total of €505,750 has been granted to Limerick and Clare
ETB from the Mitigating against Educational Disadvantage Fund, Deputy Joe Carey
confirmed today.
Higher Education Minister Simon Harris earlier announced the distribution of
€5.8m nationally for community education under the fund.
Deputy Carey said: “This new funding for Limerick and Clare ETB was secured as
part of Budget 2021 to support community education for adult learners, who have
the highest level of need.
“The funding will help to increase the participation of disadvantaged learners
in Clare. It encourages and supports them to re-engage with education and
training and also helps attract new learners to engage with education and
training opportunities.
“The fund has a particular focus on assisting learners with digital
infrastructure, including providing devices and software, and increasing their
capacity to deliver online learning.
“Crucially, it aims at helping build the digital infrastructure of providers,
and their capability to ensure that online learning can be delivered in a way
that meets the complex needs of all learners,” Deputy Carey concluded.
Minister Simon Harris added: “We know that too many people in Ireland have
difficulties with reading, with numbers or with digital skills. Some people may
not have got the help they needed earlier in their lives, but what I want
people to know is that there is friendly and non-judgemental help there for you
now. There are services all over Ireland which will gladly assist you with the
skills you’d like to learn.
“One of the things that the COVID-19 pandemic highlighted was educational
inequality – be it a lack of devices like laptops or someone not having the
connectivity to study online. The funding I am announcing today is specifically
designed to tackle those inequalities and support access to community
education.
“Education is for everyone, for all your life, and I am determined that my
department will be part of building an inclusive Ireland where nobody is left
behind.”
