Micheál Martin
Question:88 Mr. Martin asked the Minister for Education the financial provision she has made available in the 1996 Estimates for the development of Dún Laoghaire Regional Technical College, County Dublin. [6849/96]
Written Answers. - Regional Technical College.
On 13 January 1994 I announced that I had included £120 million in the 1994-99 European Regional Development Fund programme for a broad range of capital developments in the third level sector. Of this amount £73.5 million would be allocated for developments at regional technical colleges, the Dublin Institute of Technology and other technical colleges.
The Government subsequently agreed that a special projects provision of £9 million included in the programme would be set aside for the development of regional technical college at Dún Laoghaire and for a proposed new Tipperary Rural and Business Development Institute. Both of these developments accord in full with the recommendations of the Steering Committee on the Future Development of Higher Education.
A financial provision of the order of £1.5 million has been included in the Department's 1996 third level capital programme in respect of the planning of the new regional technical college and for the upgrading of the existing College of Art and Design, Dún Laoghaire. The latter college will form part of the proposed new regional technical college.