Vol. 504 No. 7
79 Mr. O'Shea asked the Minister for Education and Science further to Parliamentary Question No. 608 of 20 April 1999 the specific measures, if any, he is seeking to have included in the National Development Plan 2000 - 2006 in regard to the provision of a university for Waterford. [11287/99]
The steering committee on the future development of higher education concluded that an upgrading and expansion of the Waterford Regional Technical College – now Waterford Institute of Technology – represented the most appropriate response to the higher education needs of the south-east region. The committee considered that it would be appropriate that a major element of the expansion of the institute would be at degree level, while maintaining the thrust of its activities at technician level. It, accordingly, concluded and recommended that provision be made in the medium term for an increase in the total number of places and that the major focus of expansion be at degree level. The committee considered that such provision would place the institute at the top end of the spectrum by comparison with other institutes of technology in terms of provision of degree places and would enable the region to reach the national average participation in degree programmes.
The Government has significantly increased provision in both the total number of places and in degree level courses in the institute. The Deputy will also be aware that this Government has made unprecedented levels of investment available to develop the institute's facilities.
These measures, combined with the change of title of the college to institute of technology provide the necessary status and capacity for the institute to meet the identified higher education needs of the region over the coming years.
