Vol. 457 No. 8
58 Mr. B. O'Keeffe asked the Minister for Education if she has satisfied herself with the level of control put in place for the provision of financial management services to regional colleges and the Dublin Institute of Technology. [14283/95]
The White Paper on Education provides that "Work in progress to establish modern financial, management and administrative structures will be continued and completed in Regional Technical Colleges and the Dublin Institute of Technology". Following the coming into effect, on 1 January 1993, of the Regional Technical Colleges Act, 1992, and the Dublin Institute of Technology Act, 1992, management of the regional technical colleges, and the Dublin Institute of Technology passed from the local vocational education committees to the institutions themselves. That legislation, together with the 1994 amending legislation, provides a statutory framework for new management structures in those institutions.
It was necessary to address the management structures and staffing needs of regional technical colleges and Dublin Institute of Technology as modern institutions of higher education in the context of an independent evaluation carried out by the Institute of Public Administration, by reference to the norms in analogous colleges of higher education.
On the basis of the IPA's recommendations I have approved, inter alia, the creation of posts of secretary/ financial controller and finance officer in the regional technical colleges and director of finance and finance officer in the Dublin Institute of Technology. I am satisfied that the creation of these posts will ensure acceptable financial control arrangements in the colleges.
