Patrick O'Donovan (Limerick County, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

In budget 2023, it was also increased. The technological universities element the Deputy referred to is a new area for them. Being able to borrow is a new area for them. In addition, the creation of large-scale capital projects of this nature is also going to be a new area for them. Since I was appointed to this Department, having come from an infrastructure Department, I have been anxious to make sure that both the Higher Education Authority and my Department lend assistance. For many of the technological universities, as the Deputy knows, there will be capacity issues and constraints in areas where they have no experience because they were not allowed to have experience in that area up to now. In the coming months, as the technological universities give their assessments of their needs going forward, and with the HEA working with them, we will see progress in this area.

That is budgetary dependent, of course, and all of these are budgetary dependent. Between now and the Estimates, the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science, together with the Department of Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform, will drill down further into this.

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