Professor Brian Norton:

Let me first set the context and then I will hand over to Dr. O'Connor to give the detail of An Cheim. It was set up many years ago at the behest of the Department of Education and Skills and the Higher Education Authority, HEA, to provide computer services to the institutes of technology, ITs. It was hosted by DIT as DIT's legislation enabled it to host a subsidiary company and I understand the legislation for the other institutes of technology did not allow that to happen. The company is funded directly by the HEA and has a board which is chaired by the president of another institute of technology, usually in rotation or a senior figure from an institute of technology, and has a membership drawn from representatives of the Department of Education and Skills and the institutes of technology, including DIT. It is a body that provides services across the sector. Now I will hand over to Dr. O'Connor.