Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 27 June 2018
128. Deputy Lisa Chambers asked the Minister for Education and Skills the reason for the suspension of the BSc Hons in digital media and society at the GMIT Castlebar; if the decision to suspend the course will be reversed; if not, the reason therefor; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28123/18]
View answer131. Deputy Lisa Chambers asked the Minister for Education and Skills if further courses are due to be suspended at GMIT, Castlebar; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28154/18]
View answer132. Deputy Lisa Chambers asked the Minister for Education and Skills his plans to secure the future sustainability of GMIT, Castlebar; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28155/18]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 128, 131 and 132 together.
The Government is committed to the future sustainability of the Castlebar campus of Galway-Mayo Institute of Technology (GMIT). This is the reason why I established the Working Group in March 2017 to develop a plan that would safeguard the future of the Castlebar campus.
The Report of the Working Group was published in December 2017. It provides a wide-ranging assessment of the context within which the Campus is currently operating, and outlines a proposed vision for the future of the Mayo Campus. The Working Group recommendations are primarily for GMIT to implement, including those with regard to course provision at the Castlebar campus.
One of the recommendations of the Sustainability Plan is that the Digital Media programme be re-pitched, in collaboration with industry, for the 2018/19 academic year. I understand that this recommendation has yet to be implemented by GMIT. In the interim GMIT retained the programme it as a CAO offering for 2018/19. However, predictive analysis carried out by GMIT determined that there was an insufficient number of applicants to make the programme viable. On that basis GMIT have taken the decision to suspend the programme for the 2018/19 academic year.
While GMIT took the decision to withdraw this course, it should be noted that the institute has reinstated other programmes at the Castlebar campus for 2018/19 - Sustainable Building Technology and the Heritage related programmes of History and Geography and Culture & Environment - subject to a viable number of applicants.
The Working Group’s recommendations will be implemented over the next five years, over the period 2018-2022. Formal progress reports will be submitted to the GMIT Governing Body and the HEA every four months for review. I would like to again assure the Deputy that my Department and the HEA will continue to work closely with GMIT on ensuring that the recommendations of the Working Group are implemented as soon as possible, and with appropriate consultation with relevant stakeholders, to ensure the future sustainability and success of the Castlebar campus.
