Shane Cassells (Meath West, Fianna Fail)
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I offer a very warm welcome to the president and all the other staff of DkIT. As a Deputy representing a Meath constituency, I am acutely aware of the role of DkIT as an institute of technology, its importance to the wider north-east region as an educational campus and its wider importance to the economy, not just of Dundalk, but more widely. Denis Cummins came to Meath County Council when I was a councillor and spoke extensively to our economics department, and there was a liaison between Meath and Louth in that respect. My brother graduated from DkIT this year, so I am acutely aware of the 5,500 students on its campus and the critical role the institute plays and hope its future is bright and very prosperous.

However, ensuring there is a future for DkIT is at the heart of what we are discussing, following on from the Comptroller and Auditor General's audit. Note 26 of the audit calls into question the going concern status of the institute in the medium term by virtue of a depletion of the reserves in line with those suffered during the period 2013-2015.

That would be alarming for the students in Dundalk, Drogheda and Navan - I know that 18% of DkIT's student base is in Meath - and their parents. Ms Campbell noted that a plan had been put in place with the HEA, whose representatives are before us this morning, to stop the haemorrhage. I want to go through those measures and their impact on the college but before we do so, can we address the accumulated deficit? Despite the surplus for 2015-2016 that Ms Campbell referred to, and breaking even for the follow-on period up to the summer of this year, there will still be an accumulated deficit of €3 million come August.