MEMBERS of the Parents Association of Schull Community College have sought clarity from the Education and Training Board (ETB) about the future of centres in Schull and Kinsale.

They say they are deeply concerned by the recent notification that three of the four ETB-employed staff members at the Fastnet Marine Outdoor Education Centre in Schull have been given notice.

An association spokesperson said: ‘This development poses an immediate and serious risk to the continuity of a vital educational and community resource.’

She pointed out that a recent association meeting was not attended by Jon Hynes, who is the manager of both the Fastnet Centre and the Kinsale Outdoor Education Centre, but a letter from him was read out to those in attendance.

It stated that while the Fastnet Centre can continue operations for the remaining months of the current school year, the centre cannot guarantee its ability to support planned activities beyond 31 May 2026.

The parents association stated: ‘We are urgently seeking clarity from the ETB regarding its planning for the future of both Schull and Kinsale centres and will be engaging directly with ETB leadership, as well as local TDs and councillors, to ensure the seriousness of this issue is fully understood.

‘To that end we will be reaching out to four of our past pupils: Social Democrat leader Holly Cairns, locally-based Cllr Caroline Cronin (FG), Cllr Danny Collins (Ind Ire) and Isobel Towse (SD) to see if they can assist us in saving the centre.’

The centre is partially funded through the ETB Further Education Training allocation which is administered by the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science, as well as Solas.

When asked, last week, if the three non-permanent jobs at the Outdoor Education Centre in Schull are in jeopardy, the spokesperson said: ‘Discussions remain ongoing so they’re not in a position to confirm job losses or timelines at the moment.’

But those involved with the centre say the fact remains that three of the four staff are unlikely to have their contracts renewed.

The matter is now with SIPTU and it is understood that the fourth member of the staff has the security of a full-term contract.

The ETB claim the service has accrued significant financial deficits, which are placing ‘a severe strain on Cork ETB’s ability to continue providing high-quality services and experiences in a financially sustainable manner’.

The parents’ association said the service is ‘essential to Schull Community College students, to schools across West Cork, and to the hundreds of young people from Ireland and abroad who attend summer programmes each year.

‘The potential closure of the Fastnet Centre to summer tourism would extend these consequences well beyond the education sector, threatening the stability of local employment and the wider tourism economy.’