New Facilities Opened at Clonakilty College
Issued 13th May 2002
The Minister for Agriculture, Food and Rural Development, Joe Walsh has officially opened new training facilities at the Teagasc Agricultural College at Clonakilty, Co Cork.
Built at a cost of €2m, the new facilities are part of a major refurbishment of agricultural and horticultural colleges nationwide aimed at bringing standards up to the best internationally. A total of €14m will be invested in the 10 agricultural and horticultural colleges throughout the country between January 2001 and December 2002.
This unprecedented level of investment coincides with a transformation of Teagasc courses for young entrants to agriculture, horticulture and agri-industry. All courses are now nationally certified and bench-marked to the highest international standards. A number of third level courses are also being provided jointly by Teagasc colleges and institutes of technology.
The Principal of Clonakilty Agricultural College, JJ Harty, said the new facilities will allow for expansion of student numbers and greater diversity of courses in agriculture, agri-business and e-commerce.
''I am pleased to say that our facilities are now on a par with those in Cork Institute of Technology, which is our key partner in providing the new third level National Certificate in Agriculture''.
''Clonakilty has now a state-of-the-art computer training facility and the installation of the new fibre-optic cable to the college will enable businesses in the area to use our tele-conferencing facility on a much wider scale. This means that Clonakilty is not just a premier training site but also a vital facility for businesses and the community in the region'', he said.
