asked the Minister for Education, in regard to the setting-up of colleges of technology as proposed by him in May, 1963 (a) what role in the educational system will be played by these colleges; (b) what type of skills, trades and sciences they will teach; (c) how many such colleges will be established; (d) where they will be established; and (e) when they will come into operation.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Colleges of Technology.
53.
The colleges concerned will be a type of Regional Technical College. Their main role will be to provide courses for all three of the following:
(a) The Technical Leaving Certificate;
(b) Apprentice training;
(c) High level technician training.
The arrangement will be such as to avoid as far as possible duplication of staff and equipment. Hence particular Regional Colleges will cater on a nation-wide basis for the various specialised occupations which will be concerned. Technician courses in food processing, for instance, would be confined to one College, or at most two.
I envisage about ten such Regional Technical Colleges. In addition to Dublin (with two centres), Cork and Limerick, the centres which, as far as my information goes at the moment, most readily present themselves as suitable are Waterford, Galway, Dundalk, Sligo, Athlone, Carlow.
I should, perhaps, emphasise that it will, of course be open to many more technical schools in the large centres to provide courses for the Technical Leaving Certificate and for apprentices.
The establishing of these Regional Technical Colleges and courses involves the question of sites, plans, financing, building, syllabuses, staffing and organising generally. Planning in these regards is proceeding as rapidly as possible.
Can the Minister indicate what steps he has taken to establish such a school in Galway?
I think I have given all the information I am disposed to give at the moment.
Is the Minister aware he will get full co-operation from the people of Galway?
He will get it from any town in which he proposes to build a school.
Would the Minister be able to indicate when he envisages these colleges will commence?
It will depend on the speed at which the arrangements can proceed, and they are proceeding as quickly as the staff in the Department can work.
Will it be a number of years?
In centres like Dublin, Cork, Limerick, many of these courses are already going ahead and it is only a matter of speeding up the arrangements. It will be a number of years before these schools are working at full capacity in all areas but it will not be a number of years before they start.
When can he indicate the other colleges will be in operation?
I have indicated that in my reply.
Is all this eyewash really a polite way of saying that the existing technical schools in places such as Cork, Limerick, Waterford and Clonmel will be expanded to do the job that is at present being done in Bolton Street and Rathmines?
That is no eyewash.
Calling them by a new name.
If we were to do only what the Deputy said, it would not be eyewash, but, in fact, it will be necessary to build schools.
It is like taking the OECD Report and calling it the Second Programme for Economic Expansion.