Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Tuesday, 3 Apr 2001

Vol. 533 No. 6

Adjournment Debate. - Third Level Education.

Mr. McGuinness:

Prior to 1997, a UCD sociologist, Pat Clancy, prepared a report which indicated that the south-east had the lowest take-up rate of third level places. The report also highlighted that Kilkenny had the worst rate in the region. In response to this report, and encouraged by Mary McAleese and Queens University, in 1997 a local group in Kilkenny set about correcting the problem and establishing a third level outreach centre. NUI Maynooth and Carlow Institute of Technology now participate in a group which delivers third level courses in the region, mainly at St. Kieran's College, Kilkenny, under the chairmanship of Pat O'Neill. A total of 120 students participate in these courses, 76 on BA courses, 13 on a special needs course, 15 on a youth and community course and 16 on a local history course.

The former Minister for Education and Science, Deputy Martin, visited Wexford and Kilkenny in August 2000 where he made the welcome announcement that the Government was to fund a director and secretariat for the project. He also announced that it was to provide funding up to and beyond Christmas 2000 and that NUI Maynooth was to create or agree the job specification for the director.

However, with the exception of £150,000 allocated by the Higher Education Authority to NUI Maynooth, the total package has not been delivered. The Wexford media have highlighted that this is to the annoyance of those involved in St. Peter's College. This fact is also to the annoyance of the steering committee in Kilkenny.

The project is currently funded by NUI Maynooth, the local authority, local businesses and voluntary funds. In its report on outreach centres, the Higher Education Authority acknowledged the Kilkenny model as the most appropriate and worthwhile. The model delivers third level education in an efficient and economic manner. The method is economic for the Government as it utilises the entire education infrastructure and it is economic for students as it cuts out travel and accommodation costs.

The project makes sense when one considers developments in communications and information technology and the fact that there is no university in the south-east. A project such as this must be developed organically, based on the demands of students and adults who wish to continue their education, and on the needs of local or regional commercial interests.

The project is provided on an outreach basis. However, it also reaches out to the community. The project must be flexible and be able to adapt to meet the needs of the day. The project has strengthened the overall profile of Kilkenny and gives added value to efforts to develop a 60-acre digital park and other indigenous industries. The loss of the project would be unthinkable.

The Department and the Minister should act on the commitments given in August 2000, respond to an application for funding made in December 2000 by the steering committee and appoint a director and secretariat forthwith. They must also fund the director to enable the project to draw together all third level courses being delivered in Kilkenny and to develop and encourage the take-up of third level places, reversing the trend in the south-east. Will the Minister respond to all the commitments given and give an undertaking that this project will be funded in future?

Minister of State at the Department of Education and Science (Mr. O'Dea):

The policy regarding third level education provision is based on the recommendations of the Steering Committee on the Future Development of Higher Education. This committee was asked to advise on the future development of the higher education sector and to examine, within the overall national context, the needs for higher education on a regional basis and the appropriateness of the current institutional provision by regions to meet these needs.

The committee concluded that an upgrading and expansion of Waterford Regional Technical College represented the most appropriate response to the higher education needs of the south-east region. The committee's report recommended an increase in student places from 3,500 to 5,000 in the regional technical college, an increase in degree level awards and a change of title.

The report also recommended that the major focus of expansion be at degree level. It stated that such provision would place the college at the top end of the spectrum in comparison with other regional technical colleges in terms of provision of degree places and would enable the region to reach the national average participation in degree programmes.

The Government accepted these recommendations with the result that provision in the total number of places and in degree level courses in what is now Waterford Institute of Technology is being expanded annually and incrementally in line with available resources. These measures, combined with the change of title of the college to institute of technology, provide the necessary status and capacity for the institute to meet the identified higher education needs of the region over the coming years. Consistent with this approach, WIT will be among the first institutes of technology to be given authority to make its own educational awards under the terms of the Qualification (Education and Training) Act.

The student stock in Carlow Institute of Technology has increased from 2,350 places in 1994 to more than 2,800 in 1999-2000. The steering committee projected that the stock in Carlow institute would increase to 3,000 in the next few years. The development plan being finalised for the institute will be based on these projections.

The numbers for Waterford and Carlow take no account of the fact that significant numbers of students from the region attend other higher education institutions outside the region. In addition, each of these institutes has a range of special initiatives to increase access and participation at third level. New support services have been introduced including induction-orientation programmes, course information services, tutor services and systems designed for the early identification of at risk first year students.

Also included in these measures is an access officer which the Minister for Education and Science allocated to each institute of technology last year. The access officer will have a role in supporting students throughout their college careers and will ensure that adequate resources and systems are in place to facilitate students to complete their course of study.

Last August the Minister announced his plans to strengthen the education base in a number of regions which are not well served at present and to establish effective links with higher and further education institutions. His intention is to address the related problems of non-completion at second level education and low participation rates in higher education which are hampering development in these regions. The Minister indicated that he intends to put in place supports to encourage completion of the leaving certificate and to enable advancement to localised higher education opportunities.

After his announcement the diocesan authorities responded by offering St. Peter's College, Wexford, as a location to facilitate development of a centre with higher education links. When he visited Wexford on 30 August last, the Minister indicated that he was prepared to provide funding to establish an outreach centre at St. Peter's College. He envisaged that the proposed centre would have a local management body and a dedicated budget. He also identified the need for a project plan as a necessary preliminary to the establishment of the proposed outreach centre. To this end the Minister suggested that a local co-ordinator-director be appointed to drive the project and draw up a project plan. He asked the director of the Institute of Technology, Carlow, and the Wexford county manager to submit a proposal to his Department in this regard, which they duly did.

The proposal submitted to the Department would involve the creation of a new post and it was therefore necessary to seek the sanction of the Department of Finance before approval could be given for the proposed appointment. In this regard, the Department of Education and Science has had discussions with the Department of Finance regarding the availability of staff to progress the Minister's proposals at the local level. The Minister intends to take the matter up directly with the Minister for Finance with a view to finding a means of progressing his plans in Wexford. I assure the Deputy that the Minister for Education and Science will continue to pursue the matter with a view to establishing an outreach centre in St. Peter's College at the earliest possible date.

As regards Kilkenny, both NUI Maynooth and the Institute of Technology, Carlow, are involved in separate outreach provision in the city. The Minister met local representatives in Kilkenny last August. A detailed strategic plan for the development of the Kilkenny campus was sent to the Higher Education Authority. Pending discussions of the proposal with representatives of NUI Maynooth, the Higher Education Authority allocated £150,000 to the project in December 2000.

Following discussion of the plan with representatives of the university, the Higher Education Authority provided detailed advice to the Department at the end of January on the general question of outreach provision and on the specific issue of the university's involvement in Kilkenny. The Minister has considered this advice carefully and will shortly make an announcement in respect of the provision in Kilkenny.