Institutes of Technology Funding

Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 16 January 2018

Tuesday, 16 January 2018

Ceisteanna (313, 314, 315)

Pearse Doherty

Ceist:

313. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Education and Skills the amount of surplus or deficit recorded by Letterkenny Institute of Technology in each of the years 2007 to 2017, by year and yearly amount, in tabular form; the cumulative surplus or deficit being run by the institute; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54452/17]

Pearse Doherty

Ceist:

314. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Education and Skills the income earned or received by Letterkenny Institute of Technology including for current and capital purposes, by the State or by way of private companies, by income stream in each of the years 2007 to 2017, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54453/17]

Pearse Doherty

Ceist:

315. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Education and Skills the amounts allocated to Letterkenny Institute of Technology in terms of core grant, fees and student contribution, by income stream in each of the years 2007 to 2017; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54454/17]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Education and Skills

I propose to take Questions Nos. 313 to 315, inclusive, together.

My Department allocates the recurrent funding to the Higher Education Authority (HEA) for direct disbursement to the HEA designated higher education institutions including Institutes of Technology (IoTs) such as Letterkenny Institute of Technology (LYIT).

Upon my appointment as Minister I commenced a programme of reinvestment in the education sector. This included an increase in annual recurrent funding to LYIT by €2.3m. 

In their financial statements y/e 31 August 2016, the institute achieved a reduced deficit of €137k ( 1,358k in 2015) and will meet this deficit through accumulated reserves.

In 2017, the institute was budgeting for an operating surplus for the first time in six years and confirmed in late 2017 that this was on target for achievement.

However, an annual deficit of €1.4m per annum is currently being attributed to School of Tourism, Killybegs. This is a function of relatively low student numbers coupled with relatively high staff numbers.  To seek in part to address this issue, I, approved the provision of ring-fenced funding of €750k per annum for 4 years from 2017 to 2020.  This funding was approved following recommendations of the 2014 Working Group which was appointed to examine the financial viability of the Killybegs campus.  The institution is working closely with a financial expert and the HEA to ensure a financially viable future for the campus.  

I have attached the following tables in reply to the queries:

1:  Letterkenny IT Records of Annual Surplus/Deficit 2007-2016 (calendar year)

2:  Letterkenny IT Income - state vs non state - Income sources 2007-2016 (academic year)*

3: Letterkenny IoT summary - core grant, fees and student contribution by income stream (calendar year)

*Please note the most recent figures available are for the 2015/16 academic year.

Table 1. LYIT - Surplus/Deficit recorded 2007-2016

-	2016	2015	2014	2013	2012	2011	2010	2009	2008	2007
Operating Surplus ( Deficit )	-137	-1,358	-1,154	-1,032	-1,594	-414	2,964	551	914	445
Transfer from/to Capital Development Reserve						-294	-526	-306	-185	-159
Accumulated Surplus ( Deficit )at beginning of year	1,735	3,093	4,247	5,279	6,873	7,581	5,143	4,898	4,169	3,501
Accumulated surplus received from VEC on amalgamation of TCK										382
Accumulated Surplus (Deficit ) at end of year	1,598	1,735	3,093	4,247	5,279	6,873	7,581	5,143	4,898	4,169

Table 2.

	2015/16	2014/15	2013/14	2012/13	2011/12	2010/11	2009/10	2008/09	2007/08
	Actual	Actual	Actual	Actual	Actual	Actual	Actual	Actual	Actual
	€'000	€'000	€'000	€'000	€'000	€'000	€'000	€'000	€'000
Income
State Grant	12,413	11,755	11,499	12,496	12,860	14,775	18,715	19,548	19,894
Tuition Fees	11,170	10,085	9,810	9,303	9,227	9,119	9,586	7,663	6,464
Research Grants and Contracts	1,595	1,586	1,283	1,160	1,049	1,159	1,358	1,335	1,053
Other Income	3,319	2,883	3,412	3,226	2,970	2,983	2,635	2,967	3,161
Interest Income	1	64	97	222	299	166	119	49	99
	28,498	26,373	26,101	26,407	26,405	28,202	32,413	31,562	30,671
State
State Grant	12,413	11,755	11,499	12,496	12,860	14,775	18,715	19,548	19,894
Tuition Fees	8,378	7,385	6,873	7,417	7,619	5,455	5,299	4,426	5,499
Research Grants and Contracts	1,468	1,454	1,156	960	713	1,008	1,019	1,001	790
Other Income	1,494	1,291	1,411	1,472	1,325	1,491	1,407	1,476	1,632
Interest Income	1	64	97	222	299	166	119	49	99
	23,754	21,949	21,036	22,567	22,816	22,895	26,559	26,500	27,914
Non-State
State Grant
Tuition Fees	2,792	2,700	2,937	1,886	1,608	3,664	4,287	3,237	965
Research Grants and Contracts	127	132	127	200	336	151	339	334	263
Other Income	1,825	1,592	2,001	1,754	1,645	1,492	1,228	1,491	1,529
Interest Income
	4,744	4,424	5,065	3,840	3,589	5,307	5,854	5,062	2,757
Overall Total Income	28,498	26,373	26,101	26,407	26,405	28,202	32,413	31,562	30,671
Total Capital Grants	2015/16	2014/15	2013/14	2012/13	2011/12	2010/11	2009/10	2008/09	2007/08
State Grants HEA	384	621	482	497	1,314	309	278	925	1,818
State Grants Other			76	543	3,007	10,206	764	3,878	1,402
Total State	384	621	558	1,040	4,321	10,515	1,042	4,803	3,220
Non State Grants	429	4,224	1,074	426	221	103	51	96	140
Total Capital Grants	813	4,845	1,632	1,466	4,542	10,618	1,093	4,899	3,360

Table 3

			Estimated				Estimated				Estimated				Estimated				Estimated				Estimated
	2007 Core Grant	2007 Fees	2006/07 Student Services Charge	2007 Total	2008 Core Grant	2008 Fees	2007/08 Student Services Charge	2008 Total	2009 Core Grant	2009 Fees	2008/09 Student Services Charge	2009 Total	2010 Core Grant	2010 Fees	2009/10 Student Services Charge	2010 Total	2011 Core Grant	2011 Fees	2010/11 Student Services Charge	2011 Total	2012 Core Grant	2012 Fees	2011/12 Student Contribution	2012 Total	2013 Core Grant	2013 Fees
Letterkenny IoT	€               19,522,891	€                 2,287,036	€                 1,446,400	€               23,256,327	€             20,106,021	€             2,740,280	€             1,607,100	€    24,453,401	€         19,186,442	€       2,414,155	€       1,944,000	€    23,544,597	€                15,750,574	€       3,824,874	€       3,654,000	€          23,229,448	€             16,162,338	€       3,502,894	€       3,448,500	€        23,113,732	€        15,211,281	€          2,100,250	€          4,820,000	€        22,131,531	€           13,660,835	€   1,598,052

	Estimated				Estimated				Estimated				Estimated		draft	draft	Estimated
	2012/13 Student Contribution	2013 Total	2014 Core Grant	2014 Fees	2013/14 Student Contribution	2014 Total	2015 Core Grant	2015 Fees	2014/15 Student Contribution	2015 Total	2016 Core Grant	2016 Fees	2015/16 Student Contribution	2016 Total	2017 Core Grant	2017 Fees	2016/17 Student Contribution	2017 Total
Letterkenny IoT	€       5,656,500	€       20,915,387	€        12,767,211	€       1,639,092	€       6,315,000	€     20,721,303	€       12,886,087	€        1,103,044	€        7,414,000	€    21,403,131	€    13,223,361	€       1,003,430	€       8,157,000	€    22,383,791	€     15,467,359	€   1,149,469	€      7,782,000	€    24,398,828