Longford regeneration presents opportunity to develop modern third level campus

On the back of this week’s announcement of €10.4m in URDF funding for Longford town, local TD Joe Flaherty says there is now a unique opportunity develop a modern third level campus at the ETB base on the Battery Road.

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This week’s announcement came a few months after the announcement of €1m for Longford / Westmeath Education & Training Board to develop a digital learning hub in the town, via the Just Transition fund.

Deputy Flaherty remarked, “The ETB in Longford is located on the Battery Roadd in the heart of the Camlin Quarter and is now at the beating heart of one of the most ambitious regeneration plans for the Midlands.”

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Longford ETB provides an excellent range of PLC courses for 155 students locally and the hope now is that the Just Transition fund and the Camlin Quarter plans will be the incentive needed to develop a dedicated third level campus on the Battery Road site.

Deputy Flaherty added, “We now have an opportunity to develop a  campus specialising in apprenticeship for the construction sector.”

“We now have a chance to develop a state of the art campus for approximately 400 students. For too long, Longford has been in the shadow. This week we began to emerge from those shadows and such a campus certainly represents a new start and a new direction.”

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Deputy Flaherty raised his proposal in the Dáil this week and called on Ministers Harris and Collins to engage with the ETB to push ahead with the proposal.

AUDIO | Minister O'Brien says €10.4m Longford funding 'a catalyst for regeneration, development and growth'