Dr. Richard Thorn:

The NCAD will not get its long-term budgeting right unless the underlying functions and processes of HR and finance are well and truly embedded and working seamlessly. From an operational perspective, the board must oversee the implementation of robust management processes within the organisation. That is on the functional side, if I can call it that.

On the educational side, the college has a very great reputation for producing graduates who can both think and do. That means they do an awful lot of hands-on activity but there is general recognition that they need to move in this regard and start to include digital technologies and embrace the digital world. That educational tension needs to be thought through.

The third question was on the interinstitutional relationships of the NCAD. There was a creative arts review in 2013. It covered creative arts provision in the Dublin area and it laid great emphasis on collaboration and co-operation between providers. It is safe to say that the ambition in this regard has not yet been realised and that there are still institutions operating quasi-independently. As I understand it, there is a review before the board of the HEA that will potentially re-articulate some ideas about mergers within the Dublin area. This has come up before. For example, the NCAD and the Institute of Art, Design and Technology have been referred to. Over a quite short period, the board will have to come to a position on what will be in the best interests of the NCAD.