Education Minister visits Tipp
The Fianna Fáil Minister for Education, Norma Foley spent the day on Friday in Thurles, at the invitation of local Fianna Fáil TD, Jackie Cahill. The Minister started the morning with a meeting in Mary Immaculate College, St Patrick’s Campus with senior college management and Tipperary ETB on the establishment of a Home Economics teacher training course there.
Minister Foley then spent the afternoon visiting the secondary schools in the town, where she received a very warm welcome and engaged with school principals, students, boards of management, staff and parents associations.
Speaking, following this successful visit of a senior cabinet member to his hometown, Fianna Fáil’s Jackie Cahill said: “I am delighted that the Education Minister, Norma Foley accepted my invitation to visit Thurles last Friday. Since taking up office in July 2020, Minister Foley has invested tens of millions into education in this county. At primary and secondary level, we are seeing massive, large-scale investment in buildings and educational infrastructure right across Tipperary.
“In Thurles alone, both the Presentation Secondary School and the Ursuline Convent Secondary School have received approval from Minister Foley for major building works for both schools, and during our visits on Friday, it was clear that this will make a remarkable difference to secondary education in Thurles.
“As a former CBS pupil myself, I was honoured to bring Minister Foley to the secondary school, to meet with the school community, and discuss local issues of importance to the school. Similarly, in Coláiste Mhuire, the Minister engaged with school management and Tipperary ETB in relation to existing infrastructure and the incredible expansion of enrolment numbers in recent years under school principal, Denis Quinn’s leadership.”
Finally, in relation to the commencement of a Home Economics teacher training course in Mary Immaculate College, St Patrick’s Campus, the Thurles man said: “Minister Foley is the third minister in this Government who has accepted my personal invitation to the campus and to talks on the expansion of the course there. Both Ministers Simon Harris and Niall Collins have previously met with senior management and Tipperary ETB there, and I am very pleased with how this project is progressing. We would be confident of the delivery of this course from September 2023 for incoming students.
“Thurles is an academic town. From early education right up to tertiary level, very few rural towns can rival the academic options available on our doorstep. I will continue to work with Minister Foley to deliver for the area in education and I am very grateful for her time spent in Thurles."