Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 8 Nov 1988

Vol. 383 No. 8

Written Answers. - Tallaght (Dublin) Regional College.

33.

Mr. Taylor

asked the Minister for Education if, in view of recent reports on poverty, deprivation, lack of resources and State investment in the Tallaght area, Dublin 24, with the consequent high unemployment rate among young people and married people with families, she will approve and authorise the construction of the third level regional technical college for Tallaght; if she will give a detailed time scale indicating approval dates, construction dates and an estimated opening date for the Tallaght college; and if she will make a statement on the matter.

34.

Mr. J. Mitchell

asked the Minister for Education whether it is her intention to proceed to provide a regional technical college at Tallaght, Dublin 24; and whether provision has been made for this purpose in the Estimates recently published.

258.

Miss Harney

asked the Minister for Education the reason she has abandoned the plan to build a third level regional technical college in Tallaght, Dublin 24; if, in view of the educational needs of the area, she will reconsider her position; and if she will make a statement on the matter.

Minister for Education (Mrs. O'Rourke)

I propose to take Questions Nos. 33, 34 and 258 together.

I wish to refer the Deputies to my speech to Dáil Éireann 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. The Government approved the terms of reference, operation and composition of the committee in March 1988 and it has met on a number of occasions since.

Pending receipt of the committee's report a number of capital projects were deferred including the proposed regional technical college at Tallaght.