Ms Aingeal O?Donoghue:

I thank the Senator for her kind words. Higher education provision in Derry is part of the Government’s commitments in the New Decade, New Approach agreement, which was around capital investment to enhance higher education provision in Derry, in Magee specifically. We are working very closely with Magee, but also in partnership with Atlantic Technological University and the other education institutions in the north west with a focus on what a capital investment in Magee might look like. I am aware of the broader debate in Derry. A long-running issue in Derry has been the limited number of university places in Magee. There is now a plan. There has been a gradual enhancement of that number. It is currently stands at 5,200 and there is a plan to bring it up to the mid-6,000s. However, many people in Derry talk about a 10,000-person campus. I think there is now a certain amount of momentum and goodwill about expanding the Derry campus. Ulster University, UU, moved the medical faculty there and has significantly enhanced that. We are also looking at whether there are opportunities for more Irish students to avail of that specific facility in UU. We are also looking at broader capital investment.

As the Senator mentioned, there is also a strand of opinion in Derry about a new university. I think the view of then Taoiseach, Deputy Micheál Martin, when he was there, said that if you want to make progress, going back to the drawing board and starting again would be very long and that using what is there already would be the better approach.

As I said, our New Decade, New Approach commitment is around capital investment in Magee. We are very aware of issue of the limited student numbers at third level in Derry. The other point is that you cannot just leap from 5,000 to 10,000. You have to have the faculties and the level of service in terms of academics, research and facilities that makes students want to come there. We are actively involved in it.