It is a matter of considerable concern in the education sector that we cannot report any substantial progress on the acquisition of the site at St. Brendan's psychiatric unit by the Dublin Institute of Technology. In 1992, when this issue was first mooted on a serious basis, it was decided that Collins Barracks would be considered as the site for the headquarters of the new Dublin Institute of Technology, established the previous year under legislation. The Dublin Institute of Technology was separated from the City of Dublin VEC and the intention was that it would be a stand-alone institution with six faculties covering the whole gamut of education. It does not have a headquarters or a campus. It is a floating institution and it has been floating even more since the legislation was passed. It needs to be anchored somewhere in the city.
The Dublin Institute of Technology has colleges in Mountjoy Square, Cathal Brugha Street, Kevin Street, Rathmines and Bolton Street but there is no cohesion. Since it was established on a statutory basis in 1991, the Dublin Institute of Technology has been seeking a location to set up its headquarters and gradually bring in its outlying faculties. It intended to start with music, areas of architecture, a student campus and a major student hall. The site which is available has large playing fields which would be ideal for the student population as well as the local population.
We could have discussed this issue in the debate on suicide because many patients in St. Brendan's have been sent out into the community without the necessary back-up resources. Many of those people are vulnerable in society. This land is available and it is not being used by any institution. I understand approximately 75 acres have been earmarked for this development. The Eastern Health Board owns the land and it would be simply a question of agreeing a reasonable price among the various State agencies and transferring ownership to the Department of Education and Science. The Department could then begin the construction of its new premises.
Every year I am told that funding will be made available for this project. It has not happened to date and there is much concern among the principals and staff in these faculties as well as the student body which is now engaged in a campaign to have action taken. I understand the Taoiseach is very interested in the project and with £40.6 billion in the bag for the national development plan, it would take very small change to enable this major institution have a proper home. I ask the Minister of State to outline the up to date position and I hope he will give me a date for the acquisition of this site.
Minister of State at the Department of Health and Children (Dr. Moffatt): I thank Senator Costello for raising this issue. The Dublin Institute of Technology has a number of major sites located throughout the city of which Aungier Street, Bolton Street, Cathal Brugha Street, Kevin Street and Mountjoy Square are the most well known. The Dublin Institute of Technology currently has some 100,000mf7>2 of accommodation with the likelihood of additional accommodation being brought on stream at Aungier Street within the next two years. The analysis undertaken for the master plan indicates that the application of reasonable norms to the current position would suggest that proper space requirements are much higher. This is an issue which impinges directly on the quality of service which the institute provides and the desire of the institute to provide student accommodation, playing fields and recreational facilities for its 21,000 students. Specific areas needing improvements are office accommodation for staff, library facilities, laboratory and workshop facilities and the social and recreational facilities for students.
The institute is nearing the end of the first phase of its reorganisation along faculty lines and already it is apparent that the future efficiency of these structures will depend in large measure on the integration of faculties on to single sites. The site at St. Brendan's psychiatric unit, Grangegorman, is no Ionger required by the Eastern Health Board and would meet the requirements of Dublin Institute of Technology for additional space. The Department is actively considering the purchase of this site for Dublin Institute of Technology in the context of the annual Estimates over the next number of years, and possibly in the context of a public private partnership.
The Senator will be aware that such a proposal will require substantial funding and thorough planning. However, the lands at Grangegorman could permit Dublin Institute of Technology to develop a north and south city campus, which is in keeping with its masterplan. The latter would centre on existing facilities in Kevin Street and Aungier Street and would house the faculties of science and business. The north city campus would focus on Bolton Street and Grangegorman, retaining in the medium term the existing facilities for tourism and food at Cathal Brugha Street. It is envisaged by the institute that the widely dispersed faculty of applied arts, currently spread over 15 centres, would be relocated at Grangegorman, and the faculty of built environment would be moved there from its current position in Bolton Street. This latter transfer would enable the faculty of engineering to be centralised on the Bolton Street site. Unfortunately I cannot give Senator Costello the exact date he requested but they are moving in the right direction. I will raise the issue again with the Minister for Education and Science, Deputy Martin.