Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 18 May 2004
36 Mr. Crowe asked the Minister for Education and Science the progress which has been made on the HEA report on third level colleges in view of the fact that essential refurbishment and expansion have been postponed pending the outcome of the report. [14584/04]
Amharc ar fhreagraWhile it was originally expected that the review group would report to the Higher Education Authority not later than 31 October 2003, the authority has advised my Department that the task was more complex than expected. The group has completed a great deal of work and its efforts are at an advanced stage. It is the intention of the group to submit a report to the HEA next month at which time the authority will advise me of its views. I will make decisions on the capital investment programme for the third level sector in the context of the outcome of the review and within the parameters of the capital envelope of funding available to me.
I considered it prudent to re-evaluate and review the overall status of third level capital projects and establish future priorities. The review was commissioned in the context of considerable demands on the Exchequer for capital financing for higher education projects and the need to set out clearly the priorities and phasing of future investment programmes in this sector. The remit of the review group under the chairmanship of Mr. Kevin Kelly is to review and prioritise projects mindful of existing building stock and future requirements. Each third level institution has met the group and made a presentation on its institutional strategy, setting capital development proposals in a strategic context.
I look forward to receiving the report from the HEA in the near future. The Deputy will appreciate that it would be inappropriate for me to second guess the work of the review group by approving in the interim specific projects a particular institution might raise with my Department.
The Minister must see that the delay in delivering the report has already caused huge difficulties for students and teachers alike. In my constituency, the Institute of Technology Tallaght, which caters for approximately 2,500 students and is the smallest institute of technology in the country, has no campus accommodation, no crèche facilities, very poor services and an under-resourced students' union. How soon will the report be completed and will it be acted on swiftly once it is on the Minister's desk? Will funding be available under the parameters the Minister outlined?
The issue of over-crowding at the IT in Tallaght appears to have been put on the long finger. The Department recommends 10 square metres per student, but the figure in Tallaght is currently 6 square metres. By 2007, there will be 3,000 students at the institute. While the Minister waits for the report nothing is happening. While there were recommendations on Tallaght's institute of technology prior to the commissioning of this report two years ago, we are still awaiting results.
While I sympathise with the Deputy, I assure him that the case he has made for Tallaght has been made for every other third level institution. Every one has some ten different priorities. The Deputy will appreciate, given the limited resources available, that it can never be easy to make decisions in this area. For that reason, I decided to try to bring some order to the third level sector. Between 1997 and 2003, the capital expenditure in the third level sector was almost €1 billion. Despite the fact that the review was ongoing in 2003, expenditure in that year amounted to over €69 million. A further €97.5 million has been allocated for 2004 in addition to the €25 million capital funding for the programme of research in third level institutions.
While expenditure is ongoing, all third level colleges have what they regard as absolutely pressing needs which should be addressed outside the context of the review. If one moves outside that context, one will be back in the scenario we were in when I commissioned the review.
Regarding the timing of the review, I was initially told the review would be completed by 31 October 2003. I was subsequently told it would be completed by March 2004 and I have now been told it will be ready next month. While I would like to see it completed as quickly as possible, it is more important to get it right than to get it quickly. I hope when I get it, I will get it right.
The timescale is key. It is important to know when the programme will be rolled out and whether funding will be available. Does the Minister have a sense of when we will have the programme? I am aware of the circumstances in my locality and I accept that the Minister has different problems. Tallaght's institute of technology, however, has a particular problem of overcrowding. I am unaware of any other college with the same level of under-resourcing. The institute is crying out for investment, but the funding and agreement to go ahead are not forthcoming from the Department.
The Institute of Technology Tallaght, which is the smallest such institute in Ireland, has submitted a list of projects which would cost €71.5 million to complete. The Deputy will be able to imagine from that the level of expenditure required by the approximately 20 institutes of technology. If we do this, we should do it correctly. I hope to have the report soon. Once I have it, I will have to fight for the capital provision to implement it. When the review is completed, I will have a concrete list of prioritised projects across the sector which will make it easier to obtain capital resources.
