Funding remains a challenge for further education sector

Funding for sufficient delivery remains a challenge for the Further Education and Training sector, according to Dr Linda Pinkster, Director of FET at Cavan-Monaghan ETB.

She told board members when they met at Dun na Ri College in Kingscourt that, while funding had increased in 2025, much of this has been swallowed up by rising costs and inflation.

Dr Pinkster highlighted how there is a backlog in the apprenticeship pathway, and the ETB in Cavan-Monaghan, like others, has been asked to “delay provision” to allow for the “glut in the system” to rectify itself.

Meanwhile, more than 6,000 distinct learners took part in Further Education and Training courses delivered through Cavan-Monaghan ETB up to the end of June 2025.

Aligned to that figure, there were 7,819 beneficiaries, which refers to the total number of course registrations, including people who took more than one course provided by the local education body.

“Some learners participated in multiple courses,” explained a spokesperson for CMETB.

“So while there were 6,031 individuals, the overall number of course places filled (or beneficiaries) was higher. This reflects the fact that learners often engage in more than one learning opportunity within a year.”