Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 9 April 2024
1696. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if the Atlantic Technological University plans to, or will consider, opening a campus in Ballina. [14447/24]
View answerThe development of strategic plans, including the location of any campus are matters for ATU as an autonomous higher education institution, as per the TU Act 2018. Neither I as Minister nor my Department has a function in the matter.
I remain committed to supporting the Technological University agenda, and my Department and I continue to work to support our TUs in their post-establishment consolidation and growth. Between the HE Landscape Fund, the Technological Universities Transformation Fund (TUTF), and the Technological Sector Assistance Fund (TSAF), €171m has been made available to TUs to enable their development.
Additionally, under the TU RISE programme €83.68 million in technological university-oriented research funding has been secured over the period of the European Regional Development Fund to 2027. A further €40 million was also secured over the period 2022 – 2024 under the National Recovery and Resilience Plan for TU Education and Training reforms programmes.
In relation to capital investment, the Technological Sector Strategic Projects Fund (TSSPF) was launched in February 2022 to enhance the Technological sector's capacity and infrastructure.
In December 2023, I announced that ATU Galway's Future Living Lab proposal under the TSSPF, which aims to construct a transformative teaching and learning space for students and staff, was granted permission to appoint a design team and progress through Approval Stage 1.
ATU has also been given approval to proceed to the Preliminary Business Case stage of development for a proposal to support the integration of ATU and St. Angela's College under the TSSPF programme.
