Dáil Éireann debate -
Thursday, 18 Nov 1999

Vol. 511 No. 2

Written Answers. - Institutes of Technology.

Jim Mitchell

Question:

88 Mr. J. Mitchell asked the Minister for Finance if he has received a request for sanction from the Department of Education for the purchase by the Dublin Institute of Technology of 60 acres of land at Grangegorman from the Eastern Health Board for the purpose of providing a new centralised campus for the Dublin Institute of Technology; the date on which the request for sanction was received; if he will confirm that sanction has been given; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24005/99]

Minister for Finance (Mr. McCreevy)

A request for sanction along the lines outlined by the Deputy was received by my Department on 5 July 1999.

Having reviewed the proposals, my Department raised a number of detailed queries in a reply to the Department of Education and Science in August, 1999. Clarification on the points raised by my Department was provided by the Department of Education and Science in a letter in October 1999.

I recently considered the matter and the present position is that last week I informed the Minister for Education and Science that, because of its scale, the project would need to be submitted to Government for decision. There have been no further developments of which I am aware since then.