Teagasc will not fund major infrastructural and capital projects in private agricultural colleges, the State body has confirmed.
Multi-million-euro developments are planned at both Mountbellew Agricultural College in Galway and Gurteen Agricultural College in north Tipperary.
However, both colleges will have to finance these projects largely from private sources.
“The capital funds available to Teagasc are currently not sufficient to fund large-scale infrastructure projects at private colleges,” a spokesperson for Teagasc said.
Sourcing funding for the private agricultural colleges through the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science – which has responsibility for the Higher Education Authority (HEA) – has also been closed off as an option.
“Agricultural colleges do not fall under the remit of the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science or the HEA,” a spokesperson said.
The Teagasc spokesperson pointed out that the State body provides operational grants and staff resourcing supports to the three private colleges – which include the two at Mountbellew and Gurteen, as well as Salesian Agricultural College in Pallaskenry, Co Limerick.
“The Teagasc annual report 2024 shows that funding of over €3m per annum was provided by Teagasc across the three private colleges in 2024 and in 2023,” the spokesperson said.
However, Teagasc sources were insistent that no further funds are available for capital investment at the private colleges. In a strategy document which was seen by the Irish Farmers Journal, Mountbellew Agricultural College stated that it needed €5m for capital investment over the next five years.
This investment is to deliver a dairy training unit, a beef and sheep training unit, a centre of excellence for agricultural training and a general upgrade of facilities at the college.
In its strategy document, Mountbellew College stated that “a clear pathway to access capital funding for facility upgrades” was required to “ensure the best possible learner experience”.
Gurteen expansion
Meanwhile, Gurteen has plans to develop a two-story teaching block, which extends to 650m2 and includes six new classrooms.
Gurteen’s principal Jon Parry pointed out that the college had record student numbers but he accepted that securing capital funding remained a serious challenge.
“Gurteen has partnerships with Teagasc, TUS [Technological University of the Shannon] and LOETB [Laois Offaly Education and Training Board] who support us with operational funding to deliver courses,” Parry explained.
“Our current challenge is accessing capital funding – we have planning permission to build a new bespoke classroom block – it would bring our classrooms up to the same great standards of our farm and workshops,” he added.
“As Gurteen does not have a direct relationship with any Government department we will need to work really hard to find sources of capital,” Parry said.
“I want to ensure our students have the best chance to succeed by studying agriculture and sustainability in a modern comfortable setting,” he maintained.
Jon Parry of Gurteen Agricultural College.
Teagasc will not fund major infrastructural and capital projects in private agricultural colleges, the State body has confirmed.
Multi-million-euro developments are planned at both Mountbellew Agricultural College in Galway and Gurteen Agricultural College in north Tipperary.
However, both colleges will have to finance these projects largely from private sources.
“The capital funds available to Teagasc are currently not sufficient to fund large-scale infrastructure projects at private colleges,” a spokesperson for Teagasc said.
Sourcing funding for the private agricultural colleges through the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science – which has responsibility for the Higher Education Authority (HEA) – has also been closed off as an option.
“Agricultural colleges do not fall under the remit of the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science or the HEA,” a spokesperson said.
The Teagasc spokesperson pointed out that the State body provides operational grants and staff resourcing supports to the three private colleges – which include the two at Mountbellew and Gurteen, as well as Salesian Agricultural College in Pallaskenry, Co Limerick.
“The Teagasc annual report 2024 shows that funding of over €3m per annum was provided by Teagasc across the three private colleges in 2024 and in 2023,” the spokesperson said.
However, Teagasc sources were insistent that no further funds are available for capital investment at the private colleges. In a strategy document which was seen by the Irish Farmers Journal, Mountbellew Agricultural College stated that it needed €5m for capital investment over the next five years.
This investment is to deliver a dairy training unit, a beef and sheep training unit, a centre of excellence for agricultural training and a general upgrade of facilities at the college.
In its strategy document, Mountbellew College stated that “a clear pathway to access capital funding for facility upgrades” was required to “ensure the best possible learner experience”.
Gurteen expansion
Meanwhile, Gurteen has plans to develop a two-story teaching block, which extends to 650m2 and includes six new classrooms.
Gurteen’s principal Jon Parry pointed out that the college had record student numbers but he accepted that securing capital funding remained a serious challenge.
“Gurteen has partnerships with Teagasc, TUS [Technological University of the Shannon] and LOETB [Laois Offaly Education and Training Board] who support us with operational funding to deliver courses,” Parry explained.
“Our current challenge is accessing capital funding – we have planning permission to build a new bespoke classroom block – it would bring our classrooms up to the same great standards of our farm and workshops,” he added.
“As Gurteen does not have a direct relationship with any Government department we will need to work really hard to find sources of capital,” Parry said.
“I want to ensure our students have the best chance to succeed by studying agriculture and sustainability in a modern comfortable setting,” he maintained.
Jon Parry of Gurteen Agricultural College.
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