Dáil Éireann debate -
Wednesday, 20 Nov 1996

Vol. 471 No. 7

Adjournment Debate. - Sligo Regional Technical College.

Mr. M. Brennan

Thank you, a Cheann Comhairle, for allowing me to raise the issue of the development plan for Sligo Regional Technical College and the refusal by the Government to provide matching funds for the college's £5.2 million project to upgrade the college to full university status. The college drew up a comprehensive expansion and development plan designed to provide for the ever-increasing demands on facilities and the wide range of excellent courses offered. The college authorities very wisely and sensibly put this plan together to equip the college for the challenges and opportunities of the 21st century and the technological revolution which is expected to accelerate with the passing of each academic year. I fully support Sligo Regional Technical College in its plans to upgrade the college.

The Government White Paper on Education, published last year, had as one of its objectives the expansion and development of regional technical colleges. Sligo Regional Technical College has a pivotal role in third level education, particularly in the north west. It ranks fourth in size among regional technical colleges, with a first year enrolment of more than 1,000 students in the current year. How can the Government claim on the one hand that central to its policy is the expansion of the role and function of regional technical colleges while on the other hand it refuses to come up with matching funds to enable the development of Sligo Regional Technical College to proceed?

The building projects under threat are the administration-library block and the business innovation centre, both of which are essential to meet the growing demands of a student population which now totals 2,500. The college is grossly overcrowded and the region is at risk of losing students to other colleges, which it can ill afford. This project would benefit the north-west region immensely, directly and indirectly. Not only would it provide much needed college spaces for students, it would also provide much needed employment inside and outside the college in a region that is an unemployment black spot and suffers from the disadvantage of being a peripheral area.

The failure of the Government to put up matching funds will inevitably mean that a substantial amount of Structural Funds will be lost, which is inexcusable. It can only damage our standing and image in Europe and very probably weaken our case for similar funding in the future. If Exchequer funding of approximately £2 million is not forthcoming, the £3 million EU Structural Funds and IFI funding already approved for the project could be diverted elsewhere. All the community organisations concerned are stunned by this shock news and I share their deep concern.

A new administration-library block is an absolute necessity. The college staff are doing their utmost in extremely difficult conditions to meet the needs of students, but it is impossible to provide a proper level of service in present conditions. The building was designed many years ago for much smaller student numbers and a more limited range of faculties than the college now offers. Business innovation and information technology are the systems of the future. It is vital that Sligo Regional Technical College has the most modern accommodation and equipment to prepare its undergraduates for tomorrow's world. I urge the Government to agree immediately to provide the matching funds for this most admirable project.

Mr. Currie

I thank the Deputy for giving me the opportunity to clarify the question of matching funding to upgrade Sligo Regional Technical College to full university status. First, I wish to deal with the matter of matching funds which, I presume, relates to the £3.7 million provision which was included in the National Development Plan 1994-99 for Sligo Regional Technical College. This provision, which was first announced by the Minister for Education on 13 January 1994, comprises 75 per cent EU funding and 25 per cent Exchequer funding. To date £1.5 million of the allocation has been expended on the upgrading of the science laboratories and improving the infrastructure of the college. The balance, amounting to £2.2 million, including the Exchequer component, remains available for investment in information technology and central administration facilities.

The Minister for Education is fully aware of the need for further investment in capital projects at Sligo regional technical college. This requirement is being considered by my Department in the context of the 1997 Estimates, other priorities and overall resource constraints. To date, my Department has not received proposals from the college authorities specifically relating to matching funding for capital developments.

Second, with regard to the question of full university status for the college, the steering committee on the future development of higher education fully endorsed the maintenance of a diversified system of education to meet the varying needs of students, society and the economy. They found that this diversity finds most concrete expression in the distinctive roles and missions of the two main sectors of higher education, the university and extra-university sectors.

The extra-university sector is distinguished from the universities in particular as the source of technician training and the committee was satisfied that this level of training remains of critical importance in Ireland as recently indicated by the IRDAC report. The committee was also of the view that an appropriate balance needs to be maintained between technician and degree level courses and that any additional degree provision in the regional technical colleges should be subject to the following criteria: the main thrust of programmes and the output of graduates should remain at certificate-diploma level; new programmes should be in the form of add-on degrees rather than ab-initio degrees, other than in exceptional circumstances; programmes should have approval from TEASTAS following evaluation on the basis of the following conditions: (i) the proposed programme has unique features linked to the activities and academic strengths of the college; (ii) the demand could not be met by an existing programme in another Irish institution, including a university, or it could not be mounted more cost effectively in another college having regard to staffing and other resource considerations; (iii) there is a proven demand for the course; (iv) the course is geared towards industrial development needs based on liaison with the support from industry; (v) the need being addressed by the programme could not be served by a diploma level programme; (vi) the level of resources required to mount the programme is acceptable; and (vii) there should be overall national monitoring of degree level provision by the Higher Education Authority in collaboration with TEASTAS.

The Report of the Steering Committee on the Future Development of Higher Education considered that the changed and still evolving role of the regional technical colleges in technology and in research and development be reflected in their title, without changing the current thrust of their activities or the distinctive role of the colleges. To reflect and ensure regional emphasis, the steering committee recommended regional institutes of technology as a new title for regional technical colleges.

As required by section 3(4) of the Regional Technical Colleges Act, 1992, the college authorities were consulted to as certain the views of governing bodies with regard to the change of title. Initial reaction from the governing bodies tended to be that a technological university encompassing all the regional technical colleges was the answer. It is understood, however, that the matter is being discussed by the Council of Directors of regional technical colleges and possibly with chairpersons of governing bodies who are attempting to find a solution to the future status of the regional technical colleges under TEASTAS and in conjunction with Dublin Institute of Technology to provide a full links and ladders system. Proposals on this matter will come to the Department in the near future and these proposals will have a bearing on the appropriate title or titles for the colleges.