asked the Minister for Education whether the Government have abandoned plans to provide a regional technical college in Castlebar, County Mayo; and, if not, if she will indicate the progress which has been made since her appointment as Minister to have this college provided in the future.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Mayo Regional Technical College.
11.
I refer the Deputy to my speech on the 1988 Estimates in which I announced my intention to establish an interdepartmental committee to examine, inter alia, the provision of student places at third level. Pending the report of that committee it has been decided to defer a number of capital projects including the regional technical college at Castlebar.
In January 1987 the previous Government — I am not sure if it was the Fine Gael Government or the Coalition Government — made a decision to halt all capital projects at third level pending the review of the provision and need for third level places.
The Minister has not alone let down the people of the west but her ministerial colleagues. There is no need for an interdepartmental committee when all the information is on file. On 28 January 1987 formal Government agreement was given for the purchase of a site for a regional technical college for Castlebar. Can the Minister confirm whether that endorsement is still there, whether the site has been bought, whether the Minister has received an application for it and if any action in relation to the planning of the college has been taken?
It was the Deputy's own Government which took the original decision to halt all capital works on third level provision pending an interdepartmental review. It is very important that that be put on the record in view of various matters which are at present being aired in the western press.
With regard to the rest of the Deputy's question, I do not have the relevant technical data here but I will arrange to have it sent to the Deputy.
Is the Minister fully behind the sanction of the Government of the day to buy the site in question?
I cannot comment on that matter. The technical data to which the Deputy refers is not in my file.
It is not technical data.
This is normal procedure. I remember well the Deputy giving me a sweet smile and saying he had not got information on his file but would send it to me. Now I am returning the compliment. The technical information which the Deputy requires will be given to him at the earliest possible opportunity.
Is the Minister aware that both her Cabinet colleagues gave very clear promises to the electorate in Mayo that his facility would be provided, and that was widely published since the election in the local papers? Will the Minister agree that what is happening now is that the students in Mayo are caught in a sort of pincer movement between Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil?
I did not get the last point the Deputy made.
The last point I made was that the electorate and the students in Castlebar are now falling between the two stools of Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael.
I would not like to comment on what might be local politics in County Mayo.
Would the Minister agree that there is a strong correlation between the failure to provide third level education facilities and the disturbing increase in the number of young people who have to leave our country to get third level education?
The decision of the Fine Gael Government in January 1987 was reinforced by us.
Obviously the Minister has a list of proposed regional technical colleges that are now abandoned. Can the Minister indicate if the one for Thurles is on that list?
I would like to assist the Deputy but this is a specific question in respect of Castlebar.