asked the Minister for Education if she will authorise private interests to run or to become involved in the running of new regional technical colleges on a contract basis as productivity has been declining in higher education, despite increasing student numbers.
Written Answers. - Regional Technical Colleges.
183.
The present position is that RTCs are run by boards of management which are subcommittees of VECs. I am, at present, examining possible ways of increasing the independence of the colleges without radically altering their position within the VEC structure.
The terms of the Deputy's question suggest that a measure of control over these public institutions would be exercised by private bodies. Any detailed consideration of an issue such as that raised by the Deputy would require much more information than is available in the question.
On the matter of a decline in productivity in higher education my information would not support the Deputy's inference in that regard.