Written Answers. - Estimates for Public Services.
Colm M. Hilliard
Ceist:
404
Mr. Hilliard
asked the
Minister for Education
if he will outline the reason for the increase of (1) 46 per cent in expenditure under Vote 27 subhead H; (2) 25 per cent in expenditure under Vote 27 subhead K2; (3) 16 per cent in expenditure under Vote 29 subhead A5; (4) 49 per cent in expenditure under Vote 29 subhead I.1; (5) 129 per cent in expenditure under Vote 29 subhead 1.2 and (6) 22 per cent in Vote 28 subhead N, in the Estimates for Public Services 1992.
(1) The increase of 46 per cent in the provision for special services for children in care is mainly to provide for the full year operating costs of the new Oberstown Boys' Centre and the new unit at the Oberstown Girls' Centre which were opened on a phased basis in September 1991, and will be fully operational in early 1992.
(2) The increase of 25 per cent in the allocation for the capital building and equipment costs of special schools for children in care is due mainly to the provision for a new girls' centre at Finglas.
(3) The increase of 16 per cent for grants to vocational education committees in respect of grants and scholarships to students is due mainly to the rapidly increasing numbers on ESF aided programmes in the vocational education committee colleges. It also allows for the continued index-linking of maintenance grants in September 1992.
(4) The increase of 49 per cent for building grants and capital costs of regional and other technical and specialist colleges under vocational education committees is due to the ongoing commitment by the Government to increasing facilities in the colleges in line with the growth in third level student numbers and to ensuring that college programmes remain relevant to the needs of industry.
Projects in 1992 include developments at Tallaght RTC, Bishop Street, College of Catering, Cathal Brugha Street, Athlone RTC, Carlow RTC, Cork RTC, Dundalk RTC, Galway RTC, Letterkenny RTC, Limerick CoAct, Sligo RTC, Tralee RTC and Waterford RTC.
(5) The increase of 129 per cent to the Higher Education Authority for building grants and capital costs for universities and colleges and designated institutions of higher education (grant-in-aid) is indicative of the continuing commitment of the Government to the provision of increased student places at third level and to improving resources which will contribute to the transfer of technology between colleges and industry.
Projects in 1992 will include developments at Dublin City University, St. Patrick's College, Maynooth, Trinity College, Dublin, University College, Cork, University College, Dublin, University College, Galway and at the University of Limerick.
(6) The 22 per cent increase in Appropriations in Aid is due mainly to an increase in receipts from the European Social Fund.
Receipts from the European Social Fund in any calendar year in respect of a range of vocational training programmes provided by the Department normally consist of advance payments of 80 per cent of aid due for the year in question plus final payments of 20 per cent of aid due for the previous year. However, some variations may occur from year to year in the speed with which individual claims for aid are processed by the Commission.
The 1992 abridged allocation included an additional £15.094 million as a result of an anticipated delay in receipt of aid due in 1991. In the event, a substantial portion of the 1991 receipt expected to be delayed was in fact received late in 1991. This will cause a significant change in the year on year comparison in the post-budget Estimates volume.
