Alan Kelly (Tipperary, Labour) | Oireachtas source

The Committee of Public Accounts would like that information and we would then have other questions. I have a concern about public knowledge, transparency and how BIMM works. Obviously the majority are not aware of this scheme and we need to ensure that the way the funding is being passed through the HEA to the relevant colleges for these courses is transparent and that it is obvious what it is being used for. Second, in the higher education field, we need to ensure that if expertise in these specialist fields is required, we are moving towards being able to do it ourselves. What is being done to ensure that happens? Frankly, we will have single points of failure all over the place regarding the requirements for such programmes which we obviously have if there are 600 students. We need to see if there is a plan or a strategy to gradually move towards that through the HEA. I would like to see an obvious sign of that graduating from the beginning of where these programmes are signed off.

I want to see every single programme across every single college and to see what the HEA and others have done to make sure this will change gradually and we will be moving to a point in each programme whereby we will no longer have to do this. Surely there has been massive progress in this regard, particularly for the programmes that started some years ago. I am sure this will become obvious when this documentation is sent to us. I am glad I raised this point.

The final issue in regard to general procurement is that the cost of €5.1 million at 11.4% is a very significant figure. It obviously cannot continue. Has an action plan been put in place to ensure the DIT will be in compliance again? I admire much of the work of the DIT and where it is going into the future, but one needs foresight in planning for some of the issues that arise. I presume that is part of the process in regard to the controls and changes that have been put in place.