Concerns have been raised over the projected delivery schedule for the proposed Killarney College of the Future on the former Pretty Polly site on Park Road.

The Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science this week published its Capital Sectoral Plan 2026–2030, outlining timelines for projects across the country.
The plan lists the Killarney development as remaining at Stage 1, the initial step in the approval process, with an indicative construction period stretching from 2027 to 2035.
Minister of State Michael Healy-Rae welcomed the release of the Sectoral Plan and the investment commitments for Kerry, but said the Killarney timeline falls significantly short of what had been expected. He said the project was first announced in 2022 and should be far further along.
“A timeline of 2027–2035 is far too broad and far too slow,” he said. “Good work has been done locally by Kerry ETB, but the project is no further on today than it was under the last government. That isn’t good enough for Killarney or for Kerry.”

Local impact

The plan confirms that the development remains at Stage 1: Strategic Assessment and Preliminary Business Case.
It has not yet progressed to design, tender or any stage where detailed funding can be approved. Minister Healy-Rae said this is a major concern for a project intended to support key local industries including tourism, hospitality, renewable energy and apprenticeships.
“We cannot allow this project to drift for another decade,” he said. “Government needs to inject urgency and move this beyond reports and assessments. This is a flagship project and it must progress much faster.”
The Minister said he will now work with Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science James Lawless and Minister of State at the Department of Further and Higher Education Marian Harkin to seek an accelerated timeframe.
“Killarney deserves delivery, not decade-long timelines,” he said. “The plan sets out a framework but it needs pace and firm decision-making behind it.”
While critical of the Killarney timeline, he welcomed the inclusion of other Kerry projects such as upgrades at Monavalley Training Centre and the Listowel campus of Kerry College.
The broader plan outlines government investment priorities for the further and higher education sector over the next five years. For Killarney, the focus now shifts to whether the Project Team, Kerry ETB and the Department can move the scheme to the next approval stage.
The Killarney College of the Future project aims to convert the former Pretty Polly and Sara Lee factory buildings into a modern Further Education and Training campus. It would include a National Centre of Excellence for Hospitality training, a National Centre of Excellence for Renewable Energy and Sustainable Green training, apprenticeship facilities, and a major lifelong learning hub. The project has capacity for more than 3,000 learners each year once fully operational.
Kerry ETB previously confirmed that the site, located off the N22 and less than two kilometres from Killarney town centre, offers a building footprint of approximately 11,000 square metres. The repurposing of the factory buildings has long been viewed as a key opportunity to expand training provision in the region.
The project received permission earlier this year to move beyond the initial Strategic Assessment stage, but the Sectoral Plan shows that substantial progress has not yet been achieved.