Demand for part-time and distance learning Green Cert qualifications is heading for a five-year high, according to Teagasc.

The courses are aimed at those who did not study agriculture on a full-time basis but now want to secure a Green Cert, in many cases to qualify for tax reliefs.

Teagasc runs its part-time Green Cert courses at four colleges.

Up to 2014, the annual enrolments for these programmes were typically around 400 to 500 people.

Demand rapidly increased from 2014 onwards, according to Teagasc, with exceptional enrolment spikes occurring between 2015 and 2017.

Demand

Demand for places continue to be very robust since then, typically coming in at around 1,100 to 1,300 over recent years.

Demand for places has increased again this year, and enrolments are projected to be as high as 1,500 to 1,600 places.

Teagasc says that , if realised, this will be highest intake over the past decade other than 2015.

Earlier this year, the Department of Agriculture sanctioned a further 20 contract teaching posts to cope with the demand.

Fifteen of those teaching posts have been allocated to the northwest-northeast region, where demand is highest.