Thank you, a Cheann Comhairle, for allowing me to raise the issue of the development plan for Sligo Regional Technical College and the refusal by the Government to provide matching funds for the college's £5.2 million project to upgrade the college to full university status. The college drew up a comprehensive expansion and development plan designed to provide for the ever-increasing demands on facilities and the wide range of excellent courses offered. The college authorities very wisely and sensibly put this plan together to equip the college for the challenges and opportunities of the 21st century and the technological revolution which is expected to accelerate with the passing of each academic year. I fully support Sligo Regional Technical College in its plans to upgrade the college.
The Government White Paper on Education, published last year, had as one of its objectives the expansion and development of regional technical colleges. Sligo Regional Technical College has a pivotal role in third level education, particularly in the north west. It ranks fourth in size among regional technical colleges, with a first year enrolment of more than 1,000 students in the current year. How can the Government claim on the one hand that central to its policy is the expansion of the role and function of regional technical colleges while on the other hand it refuses to come up with matching funds to enable the development of Sligo Regional Technical College to proceed?
The building projects under threat are the administration-library block and the business innovation centre, both of which are essential to meet the growing demands of a student population which now totals 2,500. The college is grossly overcrowded and the region is at risk of losing students to other colleges, which it can ill afford. This project would benefit the north-west region immensely, directly and indirectly. Not only would it provide much needed college spaces for students, it would also provide much needed employment inside and outside the college in a region that is an unemployment black spot and suffers from the disadvantage of being a peripheral area.
The failure of the Government to put up matching funds will inevitably mean that a substantial amount of Structural Funds will be lost, which is inexcusable. It can only damage our standing and image in Europe and very probably weaken our case for similar funding in the future. If Exchequer funding of approximately £2 million is not forthcoming, the £3 million EU Structural Funds and IFI funding already approved for the project could be diverted elsewhere. All the community organisations concerned are stunned by this shock news and I share their deep concern.
A new administration-library block is an absolute necessity. The college staff are doing their utmost in extremely difficult conditions to meet the needs of students, but it is impossible to provide a proper level of service in present conditions. The building was designed many years ago for much smaller student numbers and a more limited range of faculties than the college now offers. Business innovation and information technology are the systems of the future. It is vital that Sligo Regional Technical College has the most modern accommodation and equipment to prepare its undergraduates for tomorrow's world. I urge the Government to agree immediately to provide the matching funds for this most admirable project.