Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 12 December 2023
868. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if annual distributions are made to the sector (institutions); and, if so, the annual distributions (related to capital expenditure) to date, together with the recipients, in tabular form [54715/23]
View answerMy officials and I are working closely with Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) to realise our collective ambition for the delivery of Higher Education across the country. Rather than operating from an institution-specific annual distribution, capital projects across the Higher Education sector are identified through competitive processes, with successful projects progressing through the various stages of architectural planning, tender and construction in line with the provisions of the public spending code.
The revised National Development Plan (NDP) published in October 2021 provided clarity on Departmental capital ceilings for the period 2022 – 2025. Higher education capital funding is primarily organised on the basis of funding programmes, which have tailored parameters depending on the objectives that they seek to achieve.
The key Exchequer funding programmes to date include the following:- Higher Education Strategic Infrastructure Fund - Higher Education Infrastructure Upgrade and Refurbishment Fund - Energy Efficiency and Decarbonisation Pathfinder Programme (co-funded with SEAI)- Apprenticeship Grant - Devolved Capital Grant- Technological Sector Strategic Projects Fund (TSSPF)
The Devolved Capital Grant is generally allocated to individual institutions in accordance with a model based primarily on student numbers, weighted by course type and mode of student.
The funding allocations under the co-funded Higher Education Strategic Infrastructure Fund (HESIF) and the EEDPP 2020, 2021 and 2023 programmes were done by way of competitive call against set criteria outlined in the call documents. Applications were appraised by assessment teams under the terms and conditions that issued to institutions.
Feasibility Study Investment fund of €1m in 2023/2024 is also available to support the TU’s in conducting activation feasibility assessments to ascertain student accommodation needs in campus locations.
