Vol. 396 No. 6
28 Mr. Ryan asked the Minister for Education if she has any recent proposals to permit St. Patrick's Training College, Dublin 9, to provide the Bachelor of Arts degree and other degree courses; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
The position in relation to any proposals that St. Patrick's College of Education might provide a Bachelor of Arts degree or other degree courses is that consideration of such proposals must await the report of the Primary Education Review Body, which, as part of its remit has been requested to include recommendations on the future requirements for primary teacher training.
29 Mr. Rabbitte asked the Minister for Education the existing regional technical colleges which provide (a) certificate, (b) diploma and (c) degree courses; and if she will give an assurance that courses in the planned Tallaght regional technical college, Dublin 24, will not differ in scope, level or status from those in other regional technical colleges.
60 Mr. Rabbitte asked the Minister for Education, in respect of the planned regional technical college for Tallaght, Dublin 24, if she will give an up-dated timetable for commencement and completion of construction; in view of the high level of local unemployment, whether she will seek to ensure, through conditions of contract, the employment of local trade union workers in reasonable proportion in the construction phase; if her attention has been drawn to concern expressed by the vocational education committee that her stated target of college opening at the beginning of the 1991 academic year will not be met; if she will give an assurance that this will be the opening date; if she will give details of the projected construction and running costs; the proportion of each which will be funded by the EC and the Exchequer; and if certificate, diploma and degree courses, as available in other regional technical colleges, will be provided in the Tallaght college.
I propose to take Questions Nos. 29 and 60 together. At present the regional colleges in Dundalk, Letterkenny and Tralee provide full-time courses at certificate and diploma level. The regional colleges in Athlone, Carlow, Cork, Galway, Sligo and Waterford provide full-time certificate and diploma courses and a limited number of degree courses.
In relation to course provision in Tallaght, the position is that a range of full-time courses in engineering, science and business studies, including languages, will be provided when the college becomes fully operational. It is expected that these courses will in the main be at certificate level with some diploma level courses also being provided. The precise nature and level of individual courses and associated enrolments will be determined following further consultations with interested parties and will as far as possible cater for the needs of the local area taking account of existing training and education resources and the requirements of local industry.
I should point out, however, that as in the case of the establishment of new regional technical colleges in the past, it is not envisaged that degree level courses will be available in the college during the initial stages of its development.
