Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Thursday, 6 Nov 1997

Vol. 482 No. 5

Adjournment Debate. - Blanchardstown (Dublin) Education Complex.

Mr. Lawlor

There is nothing more important or desirable in a satellite town than a third level education facility to accommodate the rapidly increasing teenage population. The people of the greater Blanchardstown area want the Higher Education Authority to recommend Blanchardstown as a chosen location for a third level college.

A delegation comprising the community council, industrialists, educationalists, other interest groups and myself made a cogent case for such a facility. We had excellent help from the forward planning department of Fingal County Council which identified in great detail the demographics of Dublin 15 and the wider environs of the west side of Dublin. This facility is urgently needed. There are six feeder post primary schools and colleges in the greater Blanchardstown area, which includes east Meath, north Kildare, Clondalkin, Lucan and the parts of north county Dublin linked by the motorway.

The National College for Industrial Relations recommended a campus which could accommodate 1,800 students and submitted its proposal to the Higher Education Authority in a pragmatic and professional manner. The Minister should urge the steering committee, set up to evaluate the type of campus and curriculum necessary, to submit its proposals. We must respond to the potential shortage of computer and other technical skills in the workforce. How better to address this matter than to provide a third level regional college in the greater Blanchardstown area to give those hundreds of post-primary pupils emerging from schools and colleges annually the opportunity to pursue third level education.

I am not going to nor do I have time to evaluate the comprehensive submission of the National College of Industrial Relations to the appropriate body. I studied it in detail and it is a most impressive document. A competent committee was appointed by the Minister to evaluate what is best for the new project in Blanchardstown. I understand the Taoiseach will inform the House about the publication of the Book of Estimates next Wednesday. I hope it will include a subheading that will provide for the practical commencement of this project and the appointment of a professional team to deal with it. The Department of Education and Science and Fingal County Council have agreed on moving the project from a restricted site beside the town centre to a larger site elsewhere. All the ingredients are there for a third level facility which I hope the Minister will kick-start into action in early 1998 and that it will come on stream as soon as is practical thereafter.

Lest there by any doubts regarding the legal status of the National College of Industrial Relations, I am informed by the personnel concerned that they do not see that as a problem and that they can amend their memorandum and articles of association to accommodate any concerns the Department of Education and Science might have. This project is desirable and important. It would provide young people, particularly from the west side of this county and from city perimeter areas, with an opportunity to pursue third level education. Previous studies and reports highlighted a lack of opportunity in that regard for pupils emerging from post-primary schools in those areas.

This is an opportunity to give heart to teenagers in the greater Blanchardstown area. A commitment was given by the previous Government in this regard and we undertook to honour it. I hope the Minister of State can give us positive news that action will be taken and that this project will commence in early 1998.

Minister of State at the Department of Education and Science (Mr. Treacy)

I am pleased Deputy Lawlor has raised once again the proposal of the National College of Industrial Relations and I am glad of this opportunity to make a statement on the matter.

Since its foundation as the Catholic Workers College in 1951 the National College of Industrial Relations has made a tremendous contribution to Irish society through the provision of a wide range of educational programmes. The college sought to provide a second chance for those who had left the education system at an early age at a time when the importance of life long learning and the need to upgrade skills continuously may not have been recognised to the same degree as today.

Over the years the college developed into the Workers College, the College of Industrial Relations in 1966 and subsequently the word "National" was added to its title in view of the growing importance of its work throughout the country. However, throughout this period of change and development, the college has remained faithful to the original principle of opening up access to learning to the educationally disadvantaged. Programmes such as Parents in Education and Discovering University have been developed by the National College of Industrial Relations to raise awareness of the value of education and to let the educationally disadvantaged know that they can and should benefit from education.

As the Deputy will be aware, the Government is committed to the elimination of educational disadvantage. Our Department is engaged in a multi-faceted approach to the problem and has fostered initiatives in the various sectors, such as the Early Start and Breaking the Cycle programmes, assistance to second level schools and funding for a wide range of adult education programmes.

The most recent initiative which we announced on 9 October 1997 concerned the establishment of a joint education industry task force to improve the supply of technicians for high technology industries. One of the aims here will be to attract mature applicants who have been out of the workforce for a while and under-employed or unemployed persons. This illustrates one of the ways in which the elimination of educational disadvantage can contribute to economic growth.

What was unique about the NCIR from the time of its establishment was its focus on the provision of education and training for employees and managers to enhance their effectiveness in the workplace. The various programmes provided, particularly in the areas of industrial relations and personnel management, emphasise the practical application and use of knowledge in business and industry while retaining a strong academic content.

The importance of taking account of the needs of industry in framing educational policy has been well established and is one of the foundations upon which economic growth has been achieved. The NCIR has, through its links with industry, recognised this fact and has established formal links with the Institute of Personnel Management and the Institute of Chartered Accountants.

In recent years, the NCIR has expanded significantly from 600 part-time students in 1990 to almost 3,500, of which 600 are full-time day students. Off-campus courses, delivered principally through 31 outreach centres nationwide, account for more than half the total enrolments. More than anything else perhaps, it is the bringing of education to the community that symbolises the uniqueness of the NCIR's contribution to education in Ireland and I would like to avail of this opportunity to thank the college for the valuable role it has played in the provision of further and higher education.

As we approach the turn of the century we face many important challenges. Chief among these will be the need to invest further in education as a basis for continued economic growth and employment creation. The decision to establish a new college at Blanchardstown will be one of the pillars of this strategy. A high level planning group established under the auspices of the Higher Education Authority is preparing a strategic plan for the new institution.

The original site for the new college, located beside the Blanchardstown shopping centre, proved unsuitable after extensive investigation. Detailed negotiations are currently under way between officials of our Department, the IDA and Fingal County Council concerning the acquisition of a new site comprising approximately 45 acres at Buzzardstown, County Dublin. A price has been agreed for the site and funding which was previously approved has been set aside for the acquisition. The proposed new site is part of a 230 acre industrial technology park being developed by the IDA and Fingal County Council.

I understand that the NCIR has submitted a proposal to the high level planning group and I am confident that the proposal will be examined carefully and thoroughly by the group. A copy of the proposal has also been provided to our Department. However, as the Deputy will appreciate, it would be improper for me to comment on the merit of the proposal in advance of the completion of the group's report, submission of which is due within the next few months. I assure the Deputy that the group's report will receive careful attention in our Department when received.

I commend Deputy Lawlor for his diligence on this project and I assure him and the House of our positive efforts to bring this project to fruition as quickly as possible.