I would like to share my time with Deputy Jim Higgins, the Fine Gael spokesman on Education.
Private Members' Business. - Castlebar (Mayo) Third Level Education Facilities: Motion.
Is that satisfactory? Agreed.
I move:
That Dáil Éireann calls on the Government to establish a Regional Technical College in Castlebar, County Mayo, and to make the necessary arrangements to commence the promised third level education courses in Castlebar from September 1993.
The case for the provision of a regional technical college in County Mayo has been well made and accepted over the years. I formally welcome the new Minister for Education, Deputy Niamh Bhreathnach, on what is her first occasion to respond to Private Members' Business. I wish her well in what is a difficult and onerous Department. I trust that, following her deliberations in Brussels and in view of her understanding of this problem, she will ensure that it is resolved successfully for the people of County Mayo.
It should be noted that of seven western seaboard counties, five have regional technical colleges — Donegal, Sligo, Galway, Limerick and Kerry. There is no regional college in County Mayo, which is the third largest county in Ireland and has one of the highest participation rates in third level education. Students from Mayo have to travel great distances on a weekly basis to attend colleges. The recent report on education, In a Changing World, indicates quite clearly that there will be a need for 30,000 extra third level places by the year 2001.
I am privileged to have the opportunity to open this debate and I do so on behalf of all the people of County Mayo — industrialists, manufacturing interests, parents and students. I am sure public representatives from all parties representing County Mayo will endorse this motion this evening. It is important to give a brief summary of the history of this project, and I will be brief.
In 1979 the Leader of the Fine Gael Party, Deputy Garret FitzGerald, met a deputation from County Mayo. Having assessed the case made by them, he formally approved their proposal to have a regional college sited in the county. On 17 December 1981 the then Minister for Education, Mr. John Boland, stated in the Official Report:
The provision of such a facility to serve Castlebar and the adjoining region has separately been raised with me some time ago and as a result I wish to reiterate my commitment to the provision of such a facility in Castlebar.
In response to a parliamentary question on 17 February 1983 the then Minister for Education, Gemma Hussey, said she was aware of the decision of her predecessor and that she was satisfied as to the validity and strength of the case for a regional technical college in Castlebar.
The Programme for Government, Building on Reality, produced by Fine Gael when in Government, stated at paragraph 7.85:
New Regional Technical Colleges in Tallaght, Dún Laoghaire and Blanchardstown and the commencement of planning of new colleges in Thurles and Castlebar have also been proposed. Subject to further examination of the need for each project and to availability of capital as many as possible of these projects will be commenced in the plan period.
On 16 May 1985 the Department of Finance issued formal sanction to commence planning and design of the Castlebar and Thurles projects. On 7 June 1985 the then Minister, Gemma Hussey, announced the go-ahead for Castlebar and Thurles. On 28 June 1985 a design team of architects, service engineers, structural engineers and quantity surveyors was appointed by the Department of Education. The Castlebar college was designed to cater for an eventual enrolment of 800 students at an estimated cost of in the order of £9 million. Proposals were discussed with County Mayo Vocational Education Committee and a final schedule was eventually drawn up.
I served for a short period as Minister of State at the Department of Education and during the period 1986-87, 14 different sites were examined as being potentially suitable for development of a regional technical college as proposed by the Government. Agreement was eventually reached in early 1987 on a site; but complications arose in that the site was owned by Mayo County Council and Castlebar Urban District Council, with four acres in the ownership of the Office of Public works. The late Michael O'Malley, go ndéanfaidh Dia trocaire ar a anam, did a great deal of work as county manager to ensure that approval was given to make available to the Department of Education up to 20 acres of the site if necessary.
The then Minister for Education, Gemma Hussey, issued a letter on 7 June 1985 stating:
I wish to refer again to your representations concerning the provision of a regional technical college in Castlebar, County Mayo. The position is that I have authorised commencement of planning and design work for the proposed college. My Department will be writing to the Vocational Education Committee in relation to the procedures involved.
It should be noted that the Minister gave specific authorisation for commencement of planning and design as agreed following discussions with Mayo Vocational Education Committee and others.
On 28 January 1987, near the time of the change of Government, the Minister for Finance issued a letter to the then Minister for Education, Mr. Paddy Cooney, stating: "I am writing to sanction the release of second level building projects proposed by your Department for the following areas" and he indicated those areas. He went on to say: "I am also agreeable to the purchase of a site for the proposed Castlebar Regional Technical College. As soon as an appropriate application is received my Department will sanction it". Following that there was a change of Government and the proposed regional technical college never saw the light of day. Apart from spurious and vague allegations, made principally by the Fianna Fáil Party, nothing was done, although I would say to the present Minister that the Labour Party at local and national level were sympathetic to this case.
On 15 and 16 May at the 67th Fine Gael Ard Fheis in the RDS the following motion was unanimously adopted by delegates:
That this Ard Fheis calls for the establishment of a Regional Technical College for County Mayo in view of the growing demand for third level education and the high participation rate in third level of students from the county and region and that Fine Gael, in Government, will make the proposal a reality.
This matter was raised subsequently by way of Question Time and Adjournment debates in the House. It was also raised by my colleague, Deputy Jim Higgins, on the Regional Technical Colleges Act. However, despite all these efforts, nothing further was done in regard to the proposal for the college. It is for that and other reasons that this motion is being moved.
Support for the college proposal from the initial political response to it by former Deputy FitzGerald has led to other political party leaders giving their consent to this proposal, including the former Taoiseach, Mr. Haughey; the present Taoiseach, Deputy Reynolds; Deputy Alan Dukes; Deputy John Bruton; former Deputy Frank Cluskey, go ndéanfaidh Dia trocaire ar a anam; the former Leader of the Labour Party, Mr. O'Leary; the present Tánaiste and Leader of the Labour Party, Deputy Spring; former Deputy Tomás Mac Giolla; the Leader of Democratic Left, Deputy De Rossa; and the former Minister and present Leader of the Progressive Democrats, Deputy O'Malley. Those people gave their tacit consent and approval to the concept that this regional college would go ahead and be endorsed by Government.
I am sure the Minister has a great deal of correspondence on her file from the Mayo regional technical college action group. Great credit is due to the leader of that group, Mr. Paddy McGuinness from Castlebar, who has consistently, at great expense, stress and hardship to himself pursued this matter over ten years. His group got support from almost every industrialist and organisation in County Mayo. For example, Killala Precision said:
We know from past experience how difficult it is to locate a suitably educated workforce locally and therefore it would be of enormous benefit to us to have a regional technical college in the region where graduates could assist us in the development of Killala Precision Components to operate competitively in the European Market.
Rowear, a company employing 250 people, said:
As an employer of 250 people engaged in manufacturing, I very much welcome the positive steps being taken by your group to provide local industry with suitably educated young people who will have the correct attitude towards work and productivity....
From Volex Interconnect, formerly Cable Products (Ireland) Ltd. I received a letter from the managing director which states:
My company employs two hundred people manufacturing a range of sophisticated data and communication cable assemblies for the European market.
Over the past three years we have put major resources into training our local workforce in Castlebar, and have developed a world class manufacturing site at our Castlebar factory, which has now become a leader in its industry in Europe.
To maintain our position, as a leader in our industry, it is essential that resources be devoted to the training and education of our workforce.
We perceive that it will be of considerable advantage to Cable Products to have easy access to a third level college in Castlebar. We would welcome the opportunity it would provide for further development and education of our present staff.
Baxter Healthcare products said:
As the largest single industrial employer in Mayo, employing 800 people at Castlebar and Swinford, we support all activities and initiatives which in any way contribute to the educational development of people in the county.
They went on to point out that the advantages accruing from a regional technical college in County Mayo would, among others, include the fact that:
Industry would avail of the research capabilities provided by such third level institutions.
Mature students, already in employment, would avail of courses leading to NCEA diplomas and/or degrees, thereby increasing enormously the skill base within industry.
The ability to attract and retain mature senior management personnel to run industry in the region would be enhanced considerably.
Allergan Pharmaceuticals in Westport who employ more than 500 people said:
It is a considerable disadvantage for a company such as ours, which is a hi-tech industry serving all the major markets around the world, not to have easy access to a 3rd level college.
Asahi Synthetic Fibres (Ireland) Limited said, through their director and general manager:
The Asahi Irish project at Killala is part of a very large Japanese Corporation (annual sales of 9.2 billion U.S. dollars), and we hope to encourage our parent board to consider further investment at the Killala site.
One possible future project which has been studied, will involve state of the art technology and the absence of a third level technical training facility in Mayo is certainly not helping our case for future investment, and the subsequent increase in employment which would follow.
Almost every industry and manufacturing base in our county give full and unequivocal support for this project. The Developing of the West Together group, organised by the Catholic bishops, give their full support for it as do the GAA, the Irish Farmers' Association, the Irish Creamery Milk Supplier's Association, the Irish Countrywomen's Association, Mayo County Council, Castlebar Urban District Council and every parent and student in the country.
Another reason for tabling this motion is to ensure that political promises are kept. In a letter to the Chamber of Commerce on 2 July 1982 the Minister for the Gaeltacht, Deputy Padraig Flynn said:
As you will understand, the Department of Education is presently awaiting a report from the Higher Education Authority in regard to future needs in Third Level Education.
You can rest assured that I am pressing our claim for a Regional Technical College in Castlebar at every available opportunity.
On 3 April 1984 the same Minister said:
I put it as strongly as I could to her that it was necessary to fulfil the promises of Ministers and Taoiseachs, but to no avail.
The present Tánaiste, Deputy Dick Spring in the Mayo Post of 22 February 1990 is reported to have met with a delegation from Castlebar and to have promised full support for the college. He is reported as saying that his party had ensured that the Castlebar regional technical college was included in the 1985 plan “Building on Reality”, but he claimed that the Castlebar regional technical college was scrapped by the Fianna Fáil Government when it was returned to office in 1987. The courses were to start in 1990, 1991, 1992 and now in 1993. The Tánaiste told that delegation that he had delivered in Tralee and that if Deputy Flynn wished to deliver in Mayo he could do so.
In July 1982 the Minister, Deputy Seamus Brennan, met a delegation from Castlebar to discuss these proposals. He said that proposals on the regional technical college would follow from that meeting and they did, through the Minister, Deputy Flynn. On 11 November 1992 the Connaught Telegraph carried a report headed, “Mayo regional technical college Courses Get The Green Light”. That was the third or fourth time that happened. The report went on:
Third level courses are to be available in Castlebar from September 1993, Justice Minister Padraig Flynn has confirmed. The initial intake will be for 200 students and the subjects to be covered in the facility have been identified....
"It is beyond politics. This is a vital service for all of the people of Mayo ..."
"The project has been given my positive support for some time now. And a lot has been done quietly behind the scenes".
The Minister for Education will be aware that on 12 November the Minister, Deputy Flynn, met with civil servants from the Department of Education in Castlebar, one from the administration unit, one from the planning unit and one other senior official. Following that meeting, the Minister announced that six courses were to start in September 1993, four of them academic and two technological. These were to be full-time courses in Castlebar with an independent principal in the college, starting from a base of 200 to 250 students in the first year rising to 800 after three years. It was agreed that there would be an alliance with Galway regional technical college for the initial start-up.
The Minister in her reply should state categorically that the commitment given on behalf of the Government will be honoured by this Government. When he was a Minister, Deputy Flynn, agreed to meet with the action group every six weeks in case difficulties arose. He went on to say that the decision conveyed by him on behalf of the Government was irrevocable if the Fianna Fáil Party was returned to Government and that it was well nigh irrevocable if the Fianna Fáil Party was not returned. The Minister appealed to the action group, and to people of his own town and county to accept his proposals as worked out on behalf of the Government. The time has come for this decision to be honoured.
The Minister has a very important and onerous task. I know she will be inundated with claims for regional technical colleges in Blackrock, Blanchardstown and other areas, and obviously her own area will make its own case. As an elected Deputy from Mayo, together with my fellow colleagues from Mayo, a specific Government commitment — I stress "Government commitment"— was given to our people that this college would be provided and that the courses would commence.
Every Sunday evening hundreds of students leave by bus, train and car for regional technical colleges in Waterford, Letterkenny, Carlow, Dundalk, Galway, Dublin and elsewhere. The exodus is a weekly one and puts great stress and pressure on parents and students alike. It takes longer to drive around County Mayo than it takes to drive from Dublin to Charlestown. It is a region in its own right. The Minister may not have studied this brief fully before her initial response on the matter. I would remind her that on 10 November 1992 the Leader of the Labour Party, Deputy Dick Spring, said in a letter to the SIPTU members in Castlebar:
I am pleased to confirm that the Labour Party recognises the enormous contribution which the siting of a regional college in an area can produce, both socially and economically, and the Party remains committed to the establishment of such a college in the Castlebar area. When in Government in 1987 we approved the allocation of funds for the purchase of a site to allow building work to commence and we are still fully committed to its early provision.
Nothing could be clearer than that. I would dearly love to have the opportunity to sit in the office in Marlborough Street for six months. I understand the pressures under which the Minister is operating, but I appeal to her not to fail a county of the most western country in Europe. The Minister has it in her power to deal with this motion effectively. On behalf of the students, parents and business people of the county I await her response eagerly. I trust she will be able to deliver on this commitment, which was a Government commitment given by a former Government Minister, Mr. Pádraig Flynn. Having served with him in this House since 1977, prior to his departure for Brussels, I do not want to hear that the commitments he gave were untruths or vague statements made specifically for election purposes. I should like to share the remainder of my time with Deputy Jim Higgins, the Fine Gael spokesman on Education.
I thank Deputy Kenny for sharing his time with me. This year in Mayo we are celebrating Mayo 5000. We are proud that the oldest agricultural sectors in Europe are to be found in the farthest flung corner of Europe, high up in the Céide Fields, overlooking the Atlantic Ocean and some of the most beautiful cliffs and scenery in the world. Unfortunately, because of the manner in which things have happened and are happening in Mayo, there will not be a Mayo 5500 to celebrate or there may not be much to celebrate in the year 2050.
Mayo has been one of the most acute victims of the national economic mismanagement of this country. Depopulation has eaten like a cancer into the county. In 1926 Mayo had a population of 172,690. In the 1991 census of population Mayo's population had plummeted to 110,696 — 62,094 had fled and emigrated, a 36 per cent drop in 65 years. It is interesting to note that the population of Leinster increased by 62 per cent in exactly the same period. I am not saying that the lifestyle or standard of living in Leinster has improved for those people. What I am saying, however, is that the basic and fundamental ingredient for the survival of an area or a region, people, has increased substantially in Leinster whereas Mayo has been progressively stripped of this resource. Not alone is the rot continuing, but the rate of drop in population is increasing and accelerating. In the five year period between 1986 and 1991, 5,021 people fled the area. I agree that although the reasons are simple to diagnose, the solutions are not easy to come by.
In that period alone we in Mayo lost traditional large employers, such as Castlebar Bacon Company Limited and Claremorris Bacon Company Limited. Those who commuted to the nearby Tuam sugar factory — at least those who have not emigrated — are still hanging around on the growing dole queues waiting for the promised replacement industry that never materialised. We have seen Irish Spinners Limited close in Kiltimagh with the loss of 150 jobs. We have seen the closure of Babygro in Belmullet with the loss of over 100 jobs. We have seen Creagh Agricultural Institute — the only agricultural institute in the county, directly linked to and servicing agriculture, which is the mainstay activity — closed, dismantled and sold off. Ballinafad Agricultural College opened and closed inside a decade. Claremorris Limited, manufacturers of light productive rainwear, is scheduled for closure on 14 May.
The twin pressures of Common Agricultural Policy and GATT, with their copperfastened regulations and their restrictions and quotas, mean that thousands of small farmers — the traditional backbone of rural Ireland — will inevitably go to the wall. The "Euro bible" pays eloquent tribute to the theoretical concept of the family farm, but the reality is that European economic policy operates a tyrannical scorched earth policy where small farming is concerned. The result is that we in Mayo and in the regions generally are witnessing the last generation of small farmers, of small retail family outlets, small shops. These are people who have been in business for generations, good conscientious employers of local people often giving credit — or, as we would call it in rural Ireland, "tick"— to hard-pressed customers. They are closing down by the dozen. They are being mowed down and cannibalised by the unfair and ruthless competitive advantage of the vulture-like supermarket chains which are descending from the outside as predators on rural Ireland. Apart from the odd spark of local defiance and resistance here and there, the pressures of decay and decline have not been in any way resisted officially, let alone thwarted. There have been no coherent plans from Government to cope with the problem, to harness natural resources, to develop alternative enterprises, or to create real jobs.
Mayo is dying. We are not begging for favours tonight; we are asking for fair play. We are not asking you for anything for nothing. What we are saying is: give us the tools, the implements and the wherewithal and we will save ourselves. A feature of Mayo over the years, long before the era of free post-primary education, has been the large participation rate in education in the county. In an economy that was not capable of supporting its population education has always been the main hope of survival and progress. The very sensible and pragmatic attitude of parents has been that if we cannot get them a job locally and if they must emigrate, then at least equip them with the best possible education available so that they will be able to compete and stand shoulder to shoulder with dignity in any corner of the world to which they have to go.
It was said in Mayo that the young person got a suit of clothes for each of the three "ations"— confirmation, graduation and emigration. Our young people now pack the already overcrowded lecture rooms in universities, the regional technical colleges and the colleges of the Dublin Institute of Technology. There are many more who cannot afford to go because they are too far from Galway or Sligo to commute and their family income is marginally too high to qualify for higher education grants and too low to enable them to borrow and repay. As Deputy Kenny has said, the distance from Belmullet to Galway is 110 miles and the distance from Belmullet to Sligo is in excess of 75 miles.
As a county with proven high esteem and valuation on third level education, and with the third highest participation rate in the country, we in Mayo look at the distribution of third level facilities. We look, for example, at Dublin which has three universities, six colleges of technology, commerce, art and music, three teacher training colleges and a mushrooming private third level sector. Cork has the fine University College Cork, a regional technical college and Crawford College. Limerick has the prestigious University of Limerick, its Co ACT Thomond College and Mary Immaculate Training College. Galway has UCG and a regional technical college. We want to make it absolutely clear that we do not begrudge anybody anywhere their colleges or universities. What we are saying is, please recognise the strong case Mayo has for a third level facility in its own right.
One of the strongest recommendations in the Culliton report has been the need for further emphasis on technological education. The Regional Technical Colleges Act, enacted by this House last year, allows and encourages the regional technical colleges to immerse themselves more fully in research and development and to actively foster an interaction between the colleges and the economy in the surrounding hinterland.
Apart altogether from the fact that the direct and immediate value of a regional technical college to a region is estimated to be worth more than £7 million per annum to the local economy, I have looked at the locations of the colleges and seen the thriving industrial bases in Tralee, Letterkenny, Waterford, Carlow, Athlone and Sligo. It is clear in all of these cases that the presence of a third level educational facility is a catalyst for growth. It is equally clear that a region which does not have a third level educational facility is simply not in the marketplace when it comes to attracting industry from outside. A key and decisive factor in any decision by an industrialist to locate in a region is the availability and accessibility of higher education. It is patently obvious also in terms of developing and growing one's own industry and enterprises and creating jobs that modern third level facilities in a region are vital.
As Deputy Kenny rightly said, Mayo is not simply a county, it is a region in its own right; it is a very large region with the resources, potential and the ingredients for survival, but which has been deprived for generations of the essential means and mechanisms for doing just that. Like Mayo, the regions of Ireland have been the victims of central Government. There has been absolutely no regional policy whatever, no devolution of any real decision making and no meaningful or real powers given to the people in the regions. What was supposed to be good for the regions was all decided by central Government, but what central Government thought was good for the regions has proven to be disastrous and has been largely responsible for the plight in which we find ourselves today. Now that this has been at least officially acknowledged and recognised and the new "buzz" words of regional development, integrated resource development and rural development have come into vogue, surely it is a logical follow-on that the regional development of Mayo should be assisted and supported by the presence of a regional technical college within the county.
There has always been a strong case for a regional technical college in Mayo. As Deputy Kenny said, the Coalition Government led by Dr. Garret FitzGerald, having looked at the obvious success story of the first phase of the regional technical colleges, decided, quite rightly, on a phase two development and for the erection of new colleges in Tallaght, Castlebar and Thurles. Thankfully, the Tallaght regional technical college is now a reality. The Fine Gael-Labour Government assigned responsibility for the project to the then Minister of State, my colleague, Deputy Enda Kenny. Officials, architects and planners descended on Mayo, a fine site was identified and earmarked for the project and the courses of study designed and agreed. It was all systems go. The Fine Gael led Coalition Government left office in 1987 and since then Fianna Fáil or Fianna Fáil in Coalition with its previous partners have effectively allowed the project to die.
Here I wish to pay tribute to Councillor Paddy McGuinness and his regional technical college group, the Mayo Action Committee. For the past five years they have refused to allow the project to die in the minds of the people. As a result of Fianna Fáil indifference to the project, that has been the policy. It was their "never say die" attitude, their tenacity, which grudgingly extracted from the then Minister, EC Commissioner Pádraig Flynn, in November 1992 a commitment that third level courses would be made available in existing accommodation in Castlebar as and from September 1993. It was not what the people wanted. It was far removed from the regional technical college concept envisaged and planned by Fine Gael in Government but at least it was a start, a stepping stone to a fully fledged regional technical college. Imagine the disbelief of the action committee when it was told by the Minister for Education three weeks ago that there was no possibility whatever of the Flynn promise going ahead. The mind really boggles when one thinks that someone in such a position of power as Commissioner Flynn could make such a promise which affects the lives, aspirations, expectations, livelihoods and survival of an entire community and then stand idly by or scurry off to Brussels and see it discarded at the stroke of a pen.
There is a seething anger in Mayo, and this is not simply based on the dashed expectations of people. It is based on the failure of the Government, Fianna Fáil and its now divorced partners to acknowledge and deliver on the strong case for a regional technical college for Mayo. I want to make it perfectly clear that we are not simply demanding a regional technical college for Mayo students. We are talking by and large about catering for Mayo students, but we are also talking about putting on new innovative courses of study which will attract students from all over the country. The existing colleges are bursting at the seams. For example, last year students had to take lectures in the corridors of Galway Regional Technical College. Recently we received an official document from UCD which stated that the "house full" signs are up in Belfield. Only last week, the Central Applications Office confirmed that an all-time high figure of 52,000-plus students had made applications for the CAO and CAS courses. If these students are put on top of the already choc-a-block overcrowded student population in colleges there will be campus chaos in September.
The £4 million increase in building grants in the recently published Estimates for 1993 is hopelessly inadequate in the context of the demand. It has been estimated that with the emerging growth in the number of students attending third level colleges the equivalent of seven new regional technical colleges will be required. Obviously a considerable portion of this number will be catered for by extensions to the existing colleges. Indeed, I have noticed with considerable interest the new extension sanctioned for the regional technical college in the Tánaiste's home base of Tralee.
What we the people of Mayo are saying is, "We want our college now. We want it in two phases and we want absolute clarification on this issue tonight and tomorrow night". This is the month of March, and the colleges will not begin their 1993-94 school year until next September. There is adequate and ample time — a full six month period — to arrange and facilitate in existing accommodation in Castlebar the third level courses promised by Commissioner Flynn and Fianna Fáil four months ago. We want a crystal clear commitment to the principle of a fully fledged regional technical college in Mayo with a specific projected starting date. Mayo people are sick to the teeth of broken promises. It is easy to understand the bewilderment, frustration and anger of the people of Mayo when they look at the millions of pounds of public money spent in setting up tribunals, investigations and courts of inquiry to investigate the actions of some of the main captains of industry in this country, not to mention the millions gobbled up in building, equipping and staffing luxurious Government offices, and are then told that there is no money available to provide a college in Mayo which would provide a lifeline for survival.
I could go on and quote case history after case history. As the Minister's colleague, the Minister for Health, Deputy Howlin, will testify, there was no problem in moving an emergency Estimate in the Dáil during Christmas week two years ago to make £9.5 million available to purchase Carysfort College to relieve a friend of the Fianna Fáil Party of a building with which he was evidently stuck. There is not alone anger in Mayo; there is also a sullen determination. If this regional technical college is not delivered upon then the people of Mayo West will use the forthcoming by-election as a very welcome opportunity to send both Government parties a very clear signal that people will not be duped, conned and fooled any longer and that the day of the false election promises has at long last come to an end.
I move amendment No. 1:
To delete all words after "That" and substitute the following:—
"Dáil Éireann, commending the Minister for Education for her commitment to investment in Higher Education in order to provide sufficient places for all able to benefit and to ensure that additional resources are used to widen access for all students to third level education in the interests of social justice and equity and economic development, notes that the Minister is urgently examining the needs of different regions, socio-economic groups and the overall education needs of society with a view to developing an integrated plan in the context of third level education generally and in the context of the White Paper on Education.
I very much welcome the opportunity to speak on this motion, to review the current position on higher education and to look to the future needs and policy in the area, with particular reference to regional technical colleges and the needs of Castlebar.
I begin by outlining the dramatic changes which have taken place in higher education over the past generation. The number of students in third level education has more than doubled from 21,000 in 1965 to almost 80,000 in 1992-93. Current projections indicate that there will be more than 100,000 students by the turn of the century. This increase in absolute numbers is reflected in the increasing proportion of the age group proceeding to third level — 20 per cent in 1989, over 40 per cent last year and heading towards 50 per cent by the turn of the century.
It is worth at this stage looking not just at numbers but at the diversity of institutions within which courses are operated. The universities continue to be the largest providers of higher education with almost 46,000 students. The arrangement initiated by the Government with the universities in 1990 whereby the universities were to provide not less than an extra 3,600 undergraduate places over a three to four year period is currently running above the annual target of 1,200 additional students.
The growth in the regional technical colleges and the Dublin Institute of Technology has been particularly dramatic. In the period since 1980 wholetime student numbers in regional technical colleges have risen from 6,500 to more than 22,000. In the same period wholetime enrolments in the Dublin Institute of Technology have risen from 4,000 to almost 9,000. The new Regional Technical Colleges Act and Dublin Institute of Technology Act which came into effect on 1 January give a new legislative framework for these institutions and, very importantly, will allow the development of interaction with industry. Other colleges, including the teacher training colleges, the National College of Art and Design, Dún Laoghaire College of Art and Design and the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland add a further 2,500 students to the total in higher education.
Total public expenditure on education in 1993 amounts to £1.8 billion, representing approximately 19 per cent of Government expenditure and about 6 per cent of GDP. This represents an unprecedented increase in allocation of available resources to education compared with 1965, when the corresponding figures were 13.2 per cent and 3.3 per cent, respectively.
Of this expenditure third level education now acounts for about 22 per cent of the Education budget, compared to 8 per cent in 1966. Additionally in the current year the total student support for fees and maintenance provided by the State is about £84 million compared to £75 million in 1992, a 12 per cent increase.
Bearing in mind the Government's commitment to widening access to higher education, I would like to speak briefly about the higher education grants scheme. Following on proposals contained in the Programme for Economic and Social Progress a range of significant improvements was introduced in 1992.
Income eligibility limits were substantially increased, as was the size of the grants. Lone parent's welfare payments are now disregarded for grants purposes. Mature students, new and existing, are now automatically considered to meet the academic requirements for grants and they may be assessed on the basis of their own incomes rather than on their parents' income. I am satisfied that the schemes are making a significant contribution to meeting policy objectives.
My Department is currently carrying out a review of the third level student support schemes as part of the process of preparing the 1993 schemes. If there are obvious elements of inequity or distortions in the schemes, they will be changed, within the constraints of Exchequer resources.
With regard to capital investment, the current European Regional Development Fund infrastructure programme costing approximately £85 million has been targeted at projects which are firmly linked to key technologies and which have been clearly identified as national priorities. It includes developments in the education and training sector which will strengthen the links between the institutions and industry, particularly in information technology, marine science and aquaculture, biology/technology, food science, microelectronics, tourism and management, areas which are vital to the achievement of the Government's strategic objectives for economic expansion. Selected institutions for development have the capability to build on existing strengths and have a proven record of excellence in the respective technologies.
Investment in the physical resources will also enable the institutions to support existing industry, particularly indigenous industries, to introduce new technology and to upgrade and develop new projects. In particular it will ensure the supply of highly skilled manpower for existing and new industries. The strengthening of institution/industry links is central therefore to the success of the operational programme.
In relation to meeting the increased demand for places generally in the third level education and training sector, it should be noted that a separate five-year programme of capital works has been initiated for designated institutions in the university sector, at an estimated cost of £15 million over a three year period with the objective of providing an additional 3,600 places. A similar investment programme costing £3 million in 1993 was introduced to assist the regional technical colleges in providing additional accommodation for the growing numbers of students in the sector.
The programme is also particularly geared to strengthening institution/ industry links which is essential for the viability of many companies and for economic growth and job creation.
A new programme is being designed to build on the success of the 1990-93 programme and many of the recent responses from the universities, Dublin Institute of Technology and regional technical colleges are clearly targeted at the Government's policy of economic growth and job creation.
These are very positive indicators of progress which highlight the Government's commitment to the systematic expansion and development of our higher education sector and underline the willing co-operation that has been forthcoming from all higher education institutions in maximising the use of existing facilities and resources.
From this account it can be seen that overall developments in higher education have been quite extraordinary. It is also evident that the major phase of expansion in the capacity of the third level system has already taken place. Numbers have increased by more than 300 per cent since 1965, whereas the projected increase between now and the year 2000 is 25 per cent.
It is clear that higher education requires a very large investment by the State and by individuals. There is, therefore, a very heavy responsibility to ensure that this investment is maximised so that the system operates on an effective, well co-ordinated, equitable and transparent basis. This cannot be achieved through "ad-hocery" or through responses based only on pressure from competing interest groups. Proper planning is essential to allow all students able to benefit to maximise their "life chances" and to contribute fully to the society we live in. There is an expectation abroad that the anticipated increase in funding can cater for an unlimited number of projects.
The increasing demand for higher education and the value placed on the siting of institutions is reflected in the increasing pressure from various locations for the provision of new institutions. Castlebar, Thurles, Blanchardstown and, last but not least, Dún Laoghaire, have made their views known in no uncertain terms.
While I anticipate a significant increase in the allocation of funding under the new programme it must also be recognised that having regard to the present economic climate the Government must give priority to projects which will generate sustainable employment and economic growth.
The cases made are, of course, worthwhile and in an ideal world each of these and, indeed, other communities could have their own institutions of higher education. Realistically, however, even with increased EC funds, the budgetary scenario means that very tough decisions have to be made in considering any expansion of existing provision.
In deciding on any new regional technical college or other institution we must learn from the past 20 years' experience. Any new institution must have a clear focus and play an important role in enterprise development and in development of the local economy. While some institutions have made significant contributions in these areas not all institutions have developed their full potential.
Decisions on investment must have regard to (1) priorities in educational provision with particular regard to the disadvantaged; (2) most effective use of scarce resources; (3) additional places required overall; (4) viability of establishing new centres as against the expansion of existing institutions — considerations of critical mass and cost effectiveness cannot be overlooked; (5) local and regional participation rates; (6) the contribution such investment will make to regional development and overall economic welfare and (7) type and level of courses needed bearing in mind their contribution to productive enterprise.
With all this in mind I believe it is time now for an overview of demands and needs in higher education to include the university sector, the technical and technological colleges and the range of course provision currently in place throughout the country.
In order to ensure that scarce resources are used to maximum advantage I am proposing to examine the needs of different regions, socio-economic groups and the overall needs of society with a view to developing an integrated plan in the context of third level education generally and in the context of the White Paper on Education.
The needs analysis would have to be grounded in rigorous statistical analysis and projections, covering participation rates, demographic trends, second level populations, etc. In addition, the analysis should take full account of budgetary and financial realities.
Further, it would be important to set the needs analysis in a context of developing arrangements for course modularisation and credit transfer arrangements across the third level system as well as the international and EC dimensions. In other words, there will be greater flexibility in the future in terms of how and where a student studies for third level qualifications.
In line with the Government's objective of achievement of aims through the highest level of democratic participation such a review would be expected to consider submissions from various parts of the country for the location of higher education institutions in their areas. Such submissions would be expected to address the issues I have already outlined. Cases must be logical, cogent and coherent and should not stem solely from localism, understandable though that impulse may be.
I am aware that a review of the magnitude outlined could be expected to take some time to complete. I intend, however, that the review should be initiated with the greatest urgency and to that end I will be inviting the Higher Education Authority to discussions without delay.
In the meantime I am aware of the particular pressures which relate to the Castlebar situation. I am aware of statements made recently with regard to the provision of courses in Castlebar. On 2 March I met a delegation from Castlebar and listened to what they had to say. I have read also with interest and sympathy the case for a regional technical college for Castlebar which was submitted to my predecessor by the Mayo Regional Technical College Action Group. I note particularly the wide-ranging letters of support from local organisations and industry. The submission does not, however, make any proposals with regard to courses required, student numbers or delivery arrangements.
I have stated already that I believe that a review of the third level provision generally is required before any decisions could be made with regard to new institutions.
However, in the case of Castlebar I have noted the paucity of post-secondary provision in that area and the high levels of participation in higher education from County Mayo. I am also aware of the very high expectations generated in recent times through public discussion and comment.
At the recent meeting I was pleased to invite County Mayo Vocational Education Committee to submit their views on appropriate developments in County Mayo. I confirmed this invitation by letter of 23 March to Mr. Langan, chief executive officer of the vocational education committee. I look forward to the receipt of comprehensive proposals in this regard. As part of this development I would be willing to approve of the first year of a number of national certificate programmes on an outreach basis. Subject to viability including adequate demand, resource availability — including availability of suitable accommodation — and, of course, agreement with interested parties it is hoped that programmes could commence in September 1993.
Furthermore, it is my intention after the Easter conferences of the teacher unions to visit Castlebar and to discuss this issue further with all interested parties. I look forward, also, to meeting interested parties in the other various locations I have mentioned.
In conclusion, I would like to assure the House again of the Government commitment to investing in higher education to a level where sufficient places will be available for all able to benefit. The Government recognises that with the increasing sophistication of the world economy, the capability and knowledge of the workforce becomes more and more critical to providing the impetus for economic growth and job creation. Clearly investment in education is the key to future prosperity and to equality and equal opportunity for all.
I would like to start by complimenting Deputies Kenny and Higgins on the strong case they have made for the provision of a regional college in Castlebar. They have outlined the background, the support that has been received, the commitment that has been made, the promises that have been given, the hopes that have been raised and the hopes that have been dashed because no delivery has been made on the commitment. Unfortunately, the case they have outlined could equally be made for at least another dozen regions in Ireland. Indeed, the case could be made to most of the other Ministers in Cabinet. The case could be made to the Minister for Finance or to the Minister for Enterprise and Employment because most of the argument had to do with the economy, the depressed nature of Mayo and the overall effect on the region.
The strongest promises were made at election time. Education in particular has, it seems, become a political football and promises to build schools are made in a manner similar to the throwing of confetti at a wedding. As Deputy Higgins indicated, there is a by-election on the way and now we have Fine Gael gearing up to try to rouse the people of Mayo behind them on this business of a regional college for Castlebar. We are moving into the area of cynicism——
That is untrue. There was a specific Government commitment given on that.
Fine Gael made a commitment in this area as well. The timing of this motion — and it has been confirmed by Deputy Higgins — seems to be related to the forthcoming by-election. As I see it, this has been typical of the way in which education has been used in the past.
The Deputy's own party leader has given us full support for this. What is the Deputy talking about?
What I am——
This is nonsense.
Please allow the Deputy to continue without interruption.
I am simply referring to an indication already made by Deputy Higgins, that this issue is being made a political football to be used in the upcoming by-election in Mayo West.
I am making no apology for that.
It is important to state that fact, and to state it clearly. I come from the west, my sympathies lie in the west and I am well aware of rural disadvantage; so, naturally, I would have strong sympathy in this regard. My professional background is in education and I know of the needs for the renovation and refurbishment of substandard buildings and of the needs for new schools at primary, second level and third level. Again, this would heighten my sympathy for this issue.
The constituency I represent, that of Dublin Central, would also lead one to an acute awareness of disadvantage in access to third level education — indeed, in access to full second level education. The socio-economic group strongest in that area has the lowest level of access to third level education; there is virtually no access at third level. Figures provided recently in the "Healthy City" survey carried out by Dublin Corporation showed that there were approximately 6,000 youngsters not attending school on a daily basis and that the school attendance officers were least available in the most depressed and deprived areas. Although there might have been six or seven school attendance officers to cover outlying areas, there was only one school attendance officer for the inner city areas, which have the greatest degree of disadvantage and deprivation and where the officers are most needed. Worse still, 25 per cent of those school attendance officers were older than 65.
There is considerable work to be done in the provision of access to education and in making the playing field level. The Clancy report of 1986 highlighted the inequality in access to third level education and indicated — an ironic observation in terms of this debate — that the western seaboard, from Donegal to Kerry, had the highest level of third level participation. One of the Fine Gael Deputies from Mayo said in the debate today that Mayo has the third highest level of participation in third level education. That is a figure to be taken into consideration.
I applaud the Minister for the approach she has taken to this matter. She could have come to the House and made an empty promise along the lines of one of the promises made in the past decade and not fulfilled. The present Minister, however, made a positive commitment to the provision of the first year of third level education in the county of Mayo, the local base. That was a major breakthrough; provision has not been made on a gradual basis before. Previously we had a promise but nothing to back it up. Now the Minister has made a commitment to a process which could lead to much greater access within County Mayo itself. The Minister has said that she will endeavour to provide that first year of third level education in County Mayo by September next. Youngsters who would have gone to regional technical colleges in Sligo, Galway or elsewhere should now be able to have their first year of third level education in Mayo. The Minister is to determine from the local vocational education committee the accommodation that can be provided to ensure participation in third level education at local level by students from County Mayo.
The second important indication from the Minister is that the days of the political football in education are over. The Minister is to prepare a plan that deals with the wider issue of participation in and accessibility to education. Included in this proposal is the Minister's intention to examine the need for third level education participation and access to third level education throughout the country. The Minister will prioritise the location of educational institutions, which decision will be made in the context of participation, accessibility, demography and need. There is no sense in any Minister or any Government making a promise in the middle of an election campaign to build a school somewhere and then finding when the election is over that a new Minister for Education is left with a raft of promises that cannot be delivered on. It is important to regulate the position and to form a policy.
The Programme for a Partnership Government is specific in reference to education. A first priority is for democratic devolution. The commitment made by the Minister for the first year of third level education is a very good example of an attempt to develop democratic intermediate education at the county level. In relation to the Structural Funds and resources, it is stated in the Programme for a Partnership Government:
We anticipate that under the new Structural Funds extra resources will be available to assist with the cost of third level education. On that basis, it is the Government's intention to ensure that these additional resources are used to widen the access of all students to third level education in the interest of social justice and equity. The promotion of social justice and equity will include continuing improvement of the Higher Education Grants Scheme to ensure that no student is deprived of access to third-level education, because of his or her financial circumstances;
The programme has given a statement of policy, which the Minister has articulated, in terms of devolution, accessibility and participation.
It is good that the Minister for Education is prepared now, at the beginning of her term of office, to state categorically that the days of the political football are over and that when a by-election comes up the old promises for the provision of a third level institute or for a primary or secondary school——
Surely the Deputy does not believe that.
The Minister has already stated that a policy will be put in place and criteria for prioritising educational institutions will be established. She outlined one by one the elements of the criteria that will determine priority in terms of location of educational establishments. Once the policy is put in place it will be the policy to be followed for the term of the present Government and into the term of the next Government.
We want a policy to continue from the previous Government, which gave a specific commitment in this regard.
When European Structural Funds become available those funds will be put in place for the long term benefit of the country. In the area of education they will be used to the maximum benefit of the participants. The resources will be used for the real needs in education, not for a specific need that might be thrown into the arena from time to time. Today we have heard the first clear statement of an educational policy that will target the disadvantaged and put in place certain criteria and procedures. It was heartbreaking to hear of the number of promises and the number of commitments made for a regional technical college in Castlebar.
Promises made by the Fianna Fáil Party. The Labour Party supported the promises.
What about the Deputy's party?
The Fine Gael Party got to the point at which architects were appointed and courses agreed on.
As the Deputy himself clearly indicated, the Fine Gael led Government——
That Government provided money in the 1987 budget for the site acquisition.
The point I am making——
The Deputy should get his facts right.
The point I am making, and I wish to make it as strongly as I can, is that for the first time we have moved away from political promises and a clear line of policy has been enunciated. That will find favour not only on the Government benches but also on the other side of the House. If that policy is followed we can be sure that Mayo and Castlebar will get their entitlements on the basis of agreed criteria as to what constitutes the need for third level education in the county of Mayo.
And on the basis of what the Tánaiste, the Deputy's leader, stated in writing.
I give my full support to ensuring that the Minister's approach to educational provision, educational structures and building is followed through in the time of this Government and of future Governments.
I greatly regret that the Mayo West constituency is not adequately represented in this House. It was a three seat constituency at the last general election; three Deputies were elected in November but only two are in the House. It is a matter of great regret that the Government has not yet moved the writ to ensure that the third voice for Mayo West can be here. If the Deputy-elect, Frank Durcan, was here there would be no question of accepting the offer of an Outreach course from a regional college as a substitute for a full, independent regional technical college in County Mayo. However, as he is not yet here I am, more or less, speaking on his behalf.
Mayo, being the third largest county, with a population of 115,000, has long felt that a third level educational institution would meet the needs of many of the hundreds of young people who travel from Mayo each year to attend third level colleges in Galway, Sligo, Athlone and other places. A national survey on participation in higher education carried out some years ago showed that Mayo had higher than the then national average of 25 per cent of the relevant cohort entering higher education; the figure was 31.2 per cent.
Over the past ten years a group of dedicated people in Mayo, particularly in the Castlebar area, have campaigned to have a regional technical college provided in Castlebar, which is generally agreed to be the most suitable location for such a college. This high figure — and other studies carried out for the Department of Education — have, on different occasions, led to ministerial approval for a regional technical college being provided in Castlebar. However, despite the pronouncements with much trumpeting, nothing has happened. This motion is as a result of the negative response by the Minister for Education to the case made by the Mayo regional technical college Action Group who, I understand, walked out in disgust from a recent meeting with her.
That is not true.
When one looks at the long saga of broken promises by Fianna Fáil, Labour and Fine Gael, one can readily understand why Mayo people feel so frustrated and let down.
That is untrue.
The timing of this motion by Fine Gael might be seen by some as a cynical, political exercise hastened by the imminence of the by-election to fill the vacant seat in Mayo West——
The Deputy was in Government and he did nothing about it.
——following the appointment of Deputy Flynn as an EC Commissioner. Fine Gael, when in Government with Labour, promised this college for Mayo in 1981. I should like to quote from a letter from the then Taoiseach, Deputy Garret FitzGerald, dated 14 January 1982, to the President of the Castlebar Chamber of Commerce. He stated:
You will be aware that on 17 December, 1981 the Minister for Education, John Boland, reiterated this Government's commitment to provide a regional technical college in Castlebar. The timescale for the provision of this technical college is dependent on, among other things, the provision of a possible suitable site. However, I understand that Deputy Kenny has been in touch with the Minister in regard to this.
Yours sincerely,
Garret FitzGerald.
On 13 April 1984 — they had been in office since 1982 — the Taoiseach, Deputy Garret FitzGerald, wrote to Deputy Enda Kenny as follows:
You wrote to me regarding a meeting with the Castlebar Chamber of Commerce regarding a regional technical college. I would prefer not to meet the Chamber of Commerce, not because I have an objection to meeting the gentlemen themselves but because I think the position of the Government has already been made perfectly clear with regard to the regional technical college. We strongly recognise the claims of Castlebar for a regional technical college because of its situation and because of the population structure in the area.
That is very clear.
However, in 1984 the then Minister for Education, Gemma Hussey, put a spanner in the works when she revealed in June that the project was on ice. Another letter from the Minister to Deputy Enda Kenny dated 25 June 1984 stated:
As you are aware a decision was made by my predecessor, Mr. John Boland, TD, regarding the location of a regional technical college in Castlebar and I am satisfied as to the validity and strength of the case for such a college.
However, I desire to draw your attention to paragraph 6.17 of the Programme for Action in Education 1984-87 where it is stated in relation to capital projects at third-level that "the provision of funds for capital purposes either by way of new buildings, extensions or equipment poses particular problems in view of the magnitude of the costs involved". Decisions in relation to the projects which may be given priority are made in the context of Government decisions with regard to the Public Capital Programme. It is not possible at this stage to say when the acquisition of a site or when the planning procedure involved in relation to the proposed Regional Technical College in Castlebar may be initiated.
This, of course, did not stop Deputy Kenny sending out literature during the general election of 1987 to the effect that a site for the college had been purchased and planning authorised which, when completed, would cater for 800 third level students. Deputy Kenny went so far as to include in his election literature a schedule of courses for Castlebar regional technical college which made it all look very efficient and which, no doubt, was meant to impress the voters of Mayo West. Deputy Kenny said that the site for the new technical college would be on Breaffy Road, Castlebar. He listed the courses which would be run at the school including technical level courses, training of apprentices, woodwork, metalwork, the catering trade, agriculture, transport, commerce, electronics and so on.
They were all agreed.
This was done to impress the voters of Mayo West. Little did they know that this was only the first of many elections in Mayo at which the regional technical college issue would be trotted out to fool the electorate, a favourite ploy in the Flynn-Kenny election charade which has passed for politics in Mayo West over the past ten years.
The regional technical college featured in the general election campaign in 1987, 1989, 1991, in the Euro election of 1989, the local elections in 1991 and is set fair to be the great hoodwink of the 1993 by-election if we are to correctly interpret the reason for this debate. Deputy Kenny — and the efforts of Fine Gael — pale into insignificance, however, compared to the grand gestures of Padraig Flynn in pulling this rabbit out of the hat each time it was electorally appropriate. My files show his first firm commitment to the Mayo regional technical college in a letter dated 2 July 1982 to the President of the Chamber of Commerce in Castlebar, which said:
Dear Jim,
Thank you for your letter of 8th July concerning the proposed location of the Regional Technical College in Castlebar. I note that you have written to the Taoiseach concerning this matter and I am hoping that we can have a satisfactory result for you in the near future. As you will understand, the Department of Education is at present awaiting a report from the Higher Education Authority in regard to future needs in third level education. You can rest assured that I am pressing our claim for a Regional Technical College in Castlebar at every available opportunity. I have already spoken with the Minister for Education concerning this matter and I will be in touch with the Taoiseach in the near future.
Yours sincerely,
Padraig Flynn,
Aire na Gaeltachta.
Deputy Flynn left office in 1984 and he then decided to ridicule the ineptitude of the then Minister for Education, Gemma Hussey, in classical P. Flynn speak in a letter to the manager of the AIB in Castlebar on 3 April 1984, which stated:
Dear Hugh,
Further to our recent chat concerning the possibility of a Regional Technical College for the Town, I have raised the matter by way of Dáil Question with the Minister for Education, Mrs. Hussey.
The whole business was most unsatisfactory and she simply used the tactic of referring to her new Action Plan, section 6.17 which in effect says that nothing will happen in the capital front until total reviews and whatever take place.
She did confirm that Boland had made the decision on the 17th December 1981, that there was a prime facie case there for the location of such a College, but left nobody in any doubt that it might never happen. I put it as strongly as I could to her that it was necessary to fulfil the promises of Ministers and Taoisigh, but to no avail. Any movement in this area is going to be very difficult to achieve.
Yours sincerely,
Padraig Flynn.
I became aware of the regional technical college campaign in 1989 and was informed by the Department of Education on 11 July 1989 that the proposed regional technical college in Castlebar had been deferred. This information was conveyed to me shortly after the election. One need only read the local Mayo papers to ascertain what was being said about the regional technical college during that campaign. One will not find statements to the effect that it was being deferred, postponed or put on the méar fada, but there were local elections held in 1991, when the regional technical college was again rolled out, to such an extent that the Mayo regional technical college Action Group wrote to me on 25 June, 1991 on the following lines:
Dear Mr. Molloy,
Thank you for your letter of 19th inst and also previous correspondence regarding the provision of a Regional Technical College in Mayo.
The Minister for Education's promise to examine the possibility of providing third level courses in Castlebar has received widespread publicity in the local press for the past few weeks.
The attached Press Release accurately reflects the view of the people involved in the ongoing campaign to get a regional technical college in Mayo.
The attached press release from the Mayo regional technical college Action Group begins as follows:
The Mayo regional technical college Action Group deplores the opportunistic nature of the recent announcement of courses to be run in Castlebar.
Firstly, this is not the first time that such an announcement has been made. In March 1990 the Minister for the Environment announced that third level courses would commence in September 1990. Then in October 1990 the Minister for Education promised that the courses would start in September 1991. Both promises turned out to be hollow, dishonest and a sham response to intense pressure from within County Mayo.
Throughout all that period, since I was first approached in 1989, I had made my personal representations in support of a regional technical college for Mayo. Those representations were responded to by numerous acknowledgements, as was the wont of our then partners in Government, until 14 May 1992 when I received the following from the former Minister for Education, Deputy Séamus Brennan:
The general question of provision of third level places in Universities, Regional, Technical and other third level colleges is kept under review within my Department. I am satisfied that the projected increase in third level places can be met most effectively through the development of the existing network of Colleges. Provision for such development is detailed in the Programme for Economic and Social Progress. There are no plans at present for the provision of additional Regional Technical Colleges.
So, there were no plans on 14 May, 1992. Yet on 31 July 1992 the former Minister, Deputy Séamus Brennan, met a delegation from the Mayo regional technical college Action Group which led them to write the following to the then Minister:
Dear Minister,
I write to thank you for the warm and courteous reception given to our delegation on Wednesday.
It was re-assuring for the members of the deputation to find you so well disposed towards our case. We hope that your patient and careful hearing of our presentation will help you appreciate the urgency of providing a Third Level college in Mayo.
On our side there is an acceptance of the budgetary constraints within which you must operate. It is for this reason that Mayo is willing to grow it's regional technical college from a moderate start.
The letter continues with great praise about what the then Minister was going to do. Unfortunately, they had to write to the Minister again on 18 September 1992 as follows:
Dear Minister Brennan,
At a meeting of our executive committee held last night, I was directed to inform you of Mayo's great surprise and disappointment with the lack of response on the issue of the provision of a regional technical college in Mayo.
You will recall that you indicated to the delegation, which you received on 29th July, that you would put proposals before us by the end of August. While your office has maintained regular contact since then, our members are anxious to have the matter finalised quickly.
Our main concern is that, if decisions on the matter are not made soon, monies might not be provided in the upcoming estimates. I am to request, therefore, that your proposals be presented before 30th September.
Then, of course, the October rumbles from the tribunal of inquiry into the beef processing industry alerted former Minister for Justice, Deputy Pádraig Flynn, to the dangers of an imminent election, when the Mayo regional technical college was dusted down yet again. This time his efforts elicited the following from the chairman of the action group, by letter dated 16 October, 1992 — only a month later — which read:
Dear Pádraig,
At a meeting of our Action Group held last night, I informed the members of my meeting with yourself and Sean Bourke, Chairman, Castlebar Urban District Council on 12th inst.
The meeting directed me to convey to you it's appreciation of and welcome for your intervention in the negotiations with the Department of Education.
The Members were pleased to learn of the objectives you intend pursuing with your colleague, Seamus Brennan T.D., Minister for Education, i.e.;
(a) Independent principal paid directly from Dept. of Education.
(b) Own autonomous board of management.
(c) 4/5 full-time courses to be completed in Castlebar and 2 of which would have a technological context.
(d) The start-up student population to be targeted at 300/400.
The Action Group has taken a formal decision to back and support your efforts in obtaining these goals. Some reservation is held on the matter of the project being under the auspices of any of the adjoining R.T.C.'s and our preference would be for some link with the Dublin Institute of Technology. However this is something which, perhaps, can be teased out in our talks with Department of Education officials — a meeting with them has been fixed for Friday next 23rd October.
The reason for such an optimistic reaction on the part of the action group is clear when one sees the notes taken during that discussion, some of which have been referred to already by Deputy Enda Kenny. For example, they talk about courses — four academic, two technological, which will be full-time in Castlebar, not in outreaches; the student numbers to begin at approximately 250 with an upper limit of 800 after three years. There was to be local involvement in the management of the regional technical college: they would have their own principal; the action group would be involved in ongoing discussions with the Department, with former Minister, Pádraig Flynn to meet the action group on a six weekly basis and be available to resolve any difficulties that might arise. Moneys were to be provided; the decision being irrevocable if Fianna Fáil were in power.
All of this led to a glorious headline in the Connaught Telegraph of Wednesday, 11 November 1992 with the glorious heading —“Mayo regional technical college Courses get the Green Light”— nicely in advance of election day, 25 November 1992. The former Minister for Justice, Deputy Flynn, left nothing to doubt that time. He sent a personal letter to his constituents driving home the point from which I might quote as follows:
You will have heard about recent developments in our campaign for third level courses to be provided in Castlebar. This exciting educational development will offer huge opportunities to many of our third level students.
If one reverts to the Connaught Telegraph article one reads:
Third level courses are to be available in Castlebar from September 1993, Justice Minister Pádraig Flynn has confirmed.
It says a whole lot more but ends as follows:
Mr. Flynn said that commitment now given could not be altered, even if there was a change of Government.
Of course, former Minister for Justice, Deputy Pádraig Flynn, received the highest personal vote ever in any election in which he stood in Mayo on the strength of all of these kinds of shenanigans. We see that he has given this firm commitment which could not be changed even if there were to be a change of Government. Of course, we know there has been a change of Government but Fianna Fáil are partners in that Government with the Labour Party, whose Leader is the Tánaiste. He said in a letter dated 10 November, 1992 to Councillors Mee and Kilcoyne the following:
I am pleased to confirm that the Labour Party recognises the enormous contribution which the siting of a regional college in an area can produce, both socially and economically, and the Party remains committed to the establishment of such a college in the Castlebar area. When in Government in 1987 we approved the allocation of funds for the purchase of a site to allow building work to commence and we are still fully committed to its early provision.
It is clear from what I have placed on the record this evening that Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael and Labour have all reneged on their promises in relation to the educational needs of the youth of Mayo. We in the Progressive Democrats support the need for a regional technical college in Castlebar. On behalf of my party I want to say the Government can be assured of our full support if they put a proper proposal before this House to establish this college forthwith. It is now time to end the political game and put the real interests of the people of Mayo before any party interest.
I rise to support the motion before the House this evening for the siting of a regional technical college in Castlebar. I was delighted to be present to hear Deputy Molloy's contribution. The saga vis-à-vis a regional technical college for Castlebar is similar to our continuing request in Tipperary to have a regional technical college sited in Thurles, not a college along the lines of a traditional regional technical college but rather a business and rural institute.
As politicians, I contend we do ourselves immense damage by continuing to make false promises to raise hopes, in particular among young people who see their only future is in having a third level college located adjacent to their homes. Statistics and research have proven that participation in third level courses increases in line with availability of a third level college in the area concerned. Unfortunately, a recent study revealed that in Tipperary we had the lowest participation rate in third level education. We put this down to the fact that we do not have a third level college within the county.
The reasons a third level college should be established in Castlebar are logical and reasonable and the campaign to have a third level college sited there has been ongoing for a number of years. Hopes have been raised and dashed. It is very unfair for any Government to continually commit itself to siting a college in Castlebar and commencing courses there but when the day arrives nothing happens. This has led to false hopes being raised and to the status of politicians being undermined.
Debate adjourned.