Teagasc has signed a new Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) and updated Service Level Agreements (SLAs) with Ireland’s three Private Agricultural Colleges: Gurteen College, Salesian Agricultural College Pallaskenry and Mountbellew Agricultural College.
Teagasc has a long-standing and valued partnership with the Private Agricultural Colleges. Working together, they ensure a wide geographic reach of opportunities for students to participate in Teagasc education programmes, complementing Teagasc’s own agricultural and horticultural colleges in Ballyhaise, Clonakilty, Kildalton and the College of Amenity Horticulture at the Botanic Gardens in Dublin, and the Teagasc Adult Education programmes delivered through Teagasc regional advisory offices.
The new MOU and SLAs provide a strengthened and modernised framework for collaboration between Teagasc and the three Colleges, supporting the continued delivery of high-quality agricultural education and training across the country.
The MOU, which covers a period of five years, sets out the overarching principles for partnership and collaboration between Teagasc and the Private Agricultural Colleges. The accompanying SLAs, which cover a period of two academic years, define in more detail the operational arrangements for programme delivery, funding and support.
Together, the agreements:
- Clarify governance and oversight arrangements for the partnership,
- Set out funding and operational grant support to the Private Colleges,
- Specify arrangements for programme delivery and learner support,
- Strengthen quality assurance and reporting provisions, and
- Provide a structured basis for ongoing strategic collaboration.
Teagasc provides operational grants and staff resourcing supports to each of the Private Agricultural Colleges in accordance with the new SLAs. This support underpins the continued provision of practical, vocationally focused agricultural education that prepares the next generation of land-based professionals to deliver for the sector, the economy and wider society.
The updated agreements were developed jointly by Teagasc senior managers and the College Principals of each of the Private Agricultural Colleges.
Speaking at the signing of the new agreements, which took place in Teagasc Head Office, Oak Park on Tuesday, 16th December 2025, Prof. Frank O’Mara, Director Teagasc said:
“Teagasc is delighted to formalise these new Memorandum of Understanding and updated Service Level Agreements with Gurteen College, Salesian Agricultural College Pallaskenry and Mountbellew Agricultural College. These agreements provide a clear and robust framework for how we work together, and they reaffirm our shared commitment to ensuring that high-quality, practical agricultural education is available to learners throughout Ireland, now and into the future.”
The College Principals of the Private Agricultural Colleges (Jon Parry of Gurteen College, Edna Curley of Mountbellew Agricultural College and Derek O'Donoghue of Salesian Agricultural College) commented that: "We are pleased to sign the new Memorandum of Understanding and Service Level Agreements with Teagasc, and we are keen to continue to deliver a significant element of the Teagasc education programme. The three Colleges have a long-shared history working in partnership with Teagasc to ensure high quality Agricultural education is available to students across Ireland, with each College being unique and bringing its own ethos and specialities to the Teagasc network.”
Commenting on the important role of Private Colleges in the overall Teagasc Education programme delivery, they added: “The Private Colleges have enrolled students from all 26 counties during 2025 – with very significant numbers from the Midlands and Western counties. Private Colleges are proud to contribute over 40% of the fulltime Teagasc Agricultural student population and 600 adult students, the signing of the MOU /SLA secures this strategic partnership."