Vol. 473 No. 1
224 Dr. O'Hanlon asked the Minister for Education if her attention has been drawn to the lack of overseas investment in counties Cavan and Monaghan; if she will consider the provision of a third level facility to ensure that the area is attractive for knowledge intensive industry; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [24379/96]
The Government has approved in principle the recommendations of the steering committee on the Future Development of Higher Education as a benchmark for future planning in the higher education sector. The report of the steering committee made a number of recommendations in relation to higher education needs on a regional basis. The report did not recommend provision of a third level college in counties Cavan or Monaghan. The governing body for Dundalk regional technical college includes representatives from the vocational education committees of both Cavan and Monaghan on the basis that the regional technical college provides a service for these counties as part of its region, i.e. the north-eastern region. In addition, the staffing structure in Dundalk regional technical college includes a post of head of development for the college and its region. The regional development centre attached to Dundalk regional technical college provides support for new enterprise development in the north-eastern region. Entrepreneurs with innovative business ideas are invited to make contact with the centre and avail of its programmes and facilities in order to bring their ideas to commercial reality.
