Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 17 January 2024
1835. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the reason for the delay in responding substantively to Parliamentary Question No. 871 of 11 July 2023; and to confirm when it will be answered. [57246/23]
View answerI wish to apologise to the Deputy for the delay in the response to this PQ. This was due to an administrative oversight within my Department. Two of the Technological Universities have foundations to raise philanthropic donations for their university; the Munster Technological University (MTU) and the Technological University Dublin (TU Dublin).The Atlantic Technological University (ATU), the Technological University Shannon (TUS), and the South East Technological University (SETU) have confirmed to my department that they do not have foundations to raise philanthropic donations for their university.TU Dublin has the TU Dublin Foundation and the accounts of the foundation are included in the TU Dublin financial statements.MTU has two wholly owned subsidiary foundation companies, one from Cork Institute of Technology and the other from the Institute of Technology Tralee.
The first question asked by the Deputy was: To ask the Minister for Further and Higher Education; Research; Innovation and Science if he will outline for technological universities with a foundation, how much money from the technological university funds has been spent on covering salary costs, operating costs, training or other costs of the associated TU Foundation for each of the past five years.
The information requested is below:
(a) Technological University (TU) Dublin
TU Dublin Foundation is responsible for all major fundraising activities for TU Dublin.
TU Dublin – Support Allocated & Provided to TU Dublin Foundation Relating to Sept 18 to June 23
Academic Year:
Sept 18 – Aug 19 = €630,691 (Payroll Support €325,069 Operating Support €305,623)
Sept 19 – Aug 20 = €1,176,075 (Payroll Support €403,791 Operating Support €772,284)
Sept 20 – Aug 21 = €1,108,148 (Payroll Support €393,109 Operating Support €715,039)
Sept 21 – Aug 22 = €1,378,370 (Payroll Support €482,317 Operating Support €896,054)
Sept 22 – Jun 23 = €978,248 (Payroll Support €449,459/Operating Support €528,789)
(b) Munster Technological University (MTU)
MTU has two wholly owned subsidiary foundation companies, one that originated from Cork Institute of Technology and the other from the Institute of Technology Tralee. Neither foundation has employees of its own.
The second questions asked by the Deputy was:
To ask the Minister for Further and Higher Education; Research; Innovation and Science if any donations or portions thereof received by technological university foundations were returned to donors for any reason over the past five years; in cases where donations were returned, how much money was returned; the reason the money was returned; and who the donor was.Both of the relevant technological universities have confirmed that no donations have been returned from either foundation over the past five years.
