Willie Penrose
Question:61 Mr. Penrose asked the Minister for Education and Science the allocations made to date from the scientific and technological fund; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11081/98]
Written Answers. - Scientific and Technological Fund.
The scientific and technological (investment) fund, which I made a priority on coming into Government, provides for an investment of £250 million over the period 1998 to 2000. It represents the largest single capital investment programme ever introduced by any Minister for Education.
The fund has three primary objectives: to review, extend and modernise the infrastructure of third level institutions, particularly in the technological sector; to develop new areas of activities where emerging skills needs have been identified; to invest in promoting innovation to maintain and further our economic growth.
The indicative sectoral allocations which I announced in Dublin Castle remain unchanged at this stage and are as follows: £60 million for skills needs — completion of the programme of skills development announced shortly after this Government took up office; £20 million for craft needs in the hotel and tourism sector — a sustained programme of investment in the provision of hotel and tourism training facilities in the institutes of technology; £20 million for vocational education needs, underpinning the vocational education sector, particularly post-leaving certificate courses and apprenticeships; £80 million for infrastructural developments, in particular the renewal and reinvigoration of the technological sector, as a crucial and distinct element of our binary system; £30 million for third level equipment renewal grants, tackling in a serious and sustained way equipment renewal in our third level colleges; £15 million for research and development, reinforcing the research and development capacity of our third level institutions; and £25 million for the schools IT 2000 project — a historic commitment to investment in information technology in first and second level schools.
To date the following allocations have been made from the fund: £10 million for the acquisition of new and replacement equipment in institutions in the Higher Education Authority and technological sector in 1998; £15 million for expenditure on the schools IT 2000 project in 1998; and £2.3 million for capital developments at Dun Laoghaire Institute of Art, Design and Technology to facilitate the concurrent construction of the phase 1 and 2 extensions.
Also proposals involving expenditure of some £24 million have been announced in respect of capital developments at Cork, Limerick and Waterford Institutes of Technology to facilitate early planning of a range of skills needs related projects.
The process of project evaluation and consultation with the various interests is ongoing at present and as the proposals are approved the institutions will be authorised to proceed without delay with the implementation of the projects.