John McGuinness (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Part of the problem with the HEA and the Department of Education and Skills is that when the question is asked, the answer just deals with what is coming from the Exchequer and does not deal with the amount the college spent. We do not get a complete picture. It is wrong for the HEA to set out the information in that way. It needs to outline whatever the projected cost is, whatever the HEA has spent on it to date and whatever the colleges have spent on it to date. That is what I would like to find out. I want Mr. Boland, if he can, to get me that information - the projected cost, what has been paid out to date and what cost there is to the college. He can send that in to the clerk.

The answer to the question on the amalgamation of Cork IT and Tralee IT was €100,000. However, the merger document between those colleges stated that this financial model was addressed in section 3 of that document. It further stated that it was projected that the merger would involve one-off costs of €6.7 million. The HEA may have spent €100,000 on it to date but I want to know if that figure is true.