The Government has published details of capital funding available to my Department for the period 2012-2016. The level of funding available for Exchequer investment in higher education infrastructure provides only for funding projects where legally binding contractual commitments exist. While a master plan has been agreed for the Grangegorman project, work to date on the project has not advanced to the point of irrevocable contractual commitment. The Government is committed to the long term future of this project. It has decided to advance initially with planning towards a PPP project for completion around 2017 and to plan for subsequent projects where construction targeted to begin post 2017.
Officials from my Department will meet shortly with the Grangegorman Development Agency, Dublin Institute of Technology and the Higher Education Authority to discuss these matters and options for the next steps to progress the project having regard to the budgetary position.