Vol. 516 No. 2
10 Mr. J. O'Keeffe asked the Minister for Education and Science his views on whether the delay in implementing the Government decision of April 1997 to establish a third level outreach campus in Skibbereen, County Cork, is normal; the reason for this delay; and the steps, if any, he will take to ensure that the Government decision is implemented immediately. [6865/00]
The Government decision of 8 April 1997 was to locate at Skibbereen, on a pilot basis, an outreach centre of Cork Regional Technical College using a high level of telematic deliv ery of educational programmes; the centre to have interactive conference linkages with outreach centres at Enniskillen, County Fermanagh and at the University of Missouri at St. Louis.
Cork Institute of Technology, formerly Cork Regional Technical College, submitted proposals for two phases of the development of the outcentre on 12 June 1997. My Department requested sanction from the Department of Finance for expenditure for the planning phase of the proposal on 19 June 1997.
Discussions are ongoing with Department of Finance officials in relation to the sanction required for the expenditure to enable the proposal to progress. That is the current position.
When is a Government decision not a decision? Why has the Government decision of three years ago not been implemented? What is the reason for the delay? Is the Minister aware that his predecessor, Deputy Martin, in 1997 and the Taoiseach in 1998 promised that the decision would be implemented without delay? Why have those promises been broken by the Government?
The matter is currently under discussion with the Department of Finance.
Does the Minister expect us to believe that discussions have been going on for almost three years? How long more must the people of west Cork wait for the Government to honour its commitment?
I will raise this matter with the Department of Finance and try to have the matter resolved. The Higher Education Authority intends to publish a report on outreach centres in the near future and I have asked that the authority consider the recommendations in the report and advise me on this area.
Is the Minister aware that the Higher Education Authority report was suppressed by the previous Minister in his Department? It has been in the Department for more than six months and printed for more than three months. It has been deliberately suppressed because it recommends that the project in Skibbereen should go ahead. Will the Minister explain why the report has not been published in the normal way? Will he give a commitment to honour the Government decision of three years ago, as his predecessor and his Leader have done?
I have asked that the report be published. It is a matter for the HEA.
The report was held up in the Department.
I saw the report. It is dated end of 1999.
The report was in the Department several months before that.
I saw the printed version. I understand that the report will be published shortly. The HEA, in collaboration with the national distance education centre, is organising a symposium on open and distance learning in higher education at the end of March. I trust the report will be published well in advance of that. The report was made to the HEA. I have requested that it be published.
Will the Minister honour the Government's commitment of April 1997?
Can the Deputy show me a record of that commitment?
The Government decision was mentioned in the Minister's reply.
I will follow up the position of Cork Institute of Technology outreach centre, as requested.
Will the Minister approve the proposal made by Cork Institute of Technology?
Sanction for the development rests with the Department of Finance, as the Deputy knows from his own ministerial experience.
Can the Department of Finance negative Government decisions?
I have written to the Department of Finance on the matter.
The Minister's predecessor wrote three years ago.
Sanction has not been forthcoming to date but I will try to have the matter resolved.
I will be back within the month.
The Deputy would be better to have me working for him than not.
The Minister's predecessor and Leader did nothing. I will allow the Minister his chance.
