Jimmy Deenihan (Kerry North, Fine Gael)
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Tralee Regional Technical College, as it was then called, was approved in 1977 by the then Minister for Education, Mr. Peter Barry. At that time, it was envisaged that the role of the college would be to provide a limited number of one-year and two-year higher certificate programmes, validated by the NCEA, and an extensive range of engineering apprenticeship courses linked to FÁS. There were plans to cater for a total student population of 350 by the turn of the millennium. It was thought that the college would primarily serve the south-west Munster region, which is still the case, with the student population drawn mainly from Kerry and parts of counties Clare, Cork and Limerick.

With a student population of over 3,000, the policy of providing programmes to satisfy regional demand for graduates still holds today and the institute now offers programmes at craft, higher certificate, ordinary bachelor degree, honours bachelor degree and postgraduate level. From its inception, it was the institute's policy to offer educational opportunities to disadvantaged and disabled students and it has an enviable record of achievement in this area. Throughout its history, staff have been actively involved in the development of the local community and in assisting the socioeconomic growth of the region through research and development activities.

A major development was the re-designation of the college as an institute of technology in 1997. Since then, it has gone from strength to strength and has become a major educational centre in the south west. In recent months, a number of students and staff of the institute have been in contact with me expressing concern that there seems to be no progress on the provision of the promised new library building, student facilities building or indoor sports facility.

In 1998, the original phase 1 of the North Campus development was split into two phases — phase 1A, which consisted of business, information technology, hotel and catering and tourism buildings; and phase 1B, which consisted of a library, student facilities and sports buildings. There was a firm commitment that when phase 1A building was completed in 2001, work would begin on phase 1B buildings in 2002 or 2003 at the latest. However, this has not happened. As I understand it, floor plans and layouts for both phase 1A and phase 1B have been at an advanced stage since 1998 but nothing has happened.

I ask the Minister for Education and Science, through the Minister of State, Deputy Treacy, to clarify the amount of funds provided by the building unit of her Department to the Institute of Technology, Tralee, for architectural and other professional fees, and to whom they were payable for phase 1A buildings of the North Campus development and separately for phase 1B of that development in each of the years 1998 to 2005. This would exclude the clinical studies building, which was funded by the Department of Health and Children.

I would appreciate it if the Minister would provide information on the current status of departmental approval and capital funding scheduling for the buildings of phase 1B, particularly for the library building, the student facilities building and the sports building, and the other buildings of phase 1B. I would like to know the reason for the delay in providing these badly needed buildings and the other buildings of phase 1B, which were promised to commence in 2002 or 2003 at the latest. Was this due to her Department or the Department of Finance? Also, will the Minister provide the schedule of proposed commencement dates envisaged by the building unit of her Department for each of these buildings?

Finally, has the Minister or her Department plans to move the current activities of the South Campus to the North Campus, as envisaged in phase 2 of the institute development plan in 1998? I am sure she would agree that reuniting both campuses would enhance the quality of life for students and staff and save the Exchequer the extra costs incurred by the institute in running a dual campus arrangement.

Noel Treacy (Galway East, Fianna Fail)
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I thank Deputy Deenihan for raising this important matter as it affords me the opportunity to clarify the position regarding capital developments at the Institute of Technology, Tralee. I endorse everything the Deputy has said about the institute with which I am familiar since my time in the Department of Education and Science when I had responsibility for the institutes of education. Many past pupils of the Tralee institute and some current pupils are from my county and some have been reasonably successful in the game of football, although not quite as successful as Deputy Deenihan as yet. We salute the institute for the rounded contribution it makes to both the academic and extra curricular development of its students.

The Institute of Technology, Tralee, is an autonomous body and its day-to-day management is a matter for the institute's governing authority. Likewise, the management of large scale capital projects is fully within the domain of the institute's governing body. In December 2005, in the context of a budget day announcement of a €900 million multi-annual capital envelope for higher education, the Minister for Education and Science announced the approval of 35 major capital projects across the sector for advancement. Key priority projects were included on the basis of an earlier review of all capital projects in the sector. The projects included the development of facilities in a range of disciplines, including engineering, IT, research, digital media and business and enterprise. I am pleased to advise the Deputy that the library and information resource centre at the Institute of Technology, Tralee, was one of the projects approved to proceed at that time. While a number of these projects were announced for delivery through the public private partnership process, the library and information resource centre was earmarked for delivery through conventional procurement.

Accordingly, since December 2005, responsibility for progressing this project rests with the institute's governing body. The Department of Education and Science had expected to receive pre-tender documentation from the institute in December 2006, but to date this submission has not been received. Accordingly, such delays as are being encountered with advancing this project are outside of the scope of the Department to address or rectify. I assure the Deputy, however, that the Department is fully committed to progressing the project and is anxious to do so as soon as it receives the requisite material from the institute in Tralee.

With regard to the question of funding for other projects at the institute, these will be considered in the context of the prioritisation of new projects for delivery as part of the National Development Plan 2007-2013. In that context, the Deputy will be aware of the significant priority given to investment in higher education under the NDP, reflecting the significance that the Government attributes to investing in the sector generally.

As the Deputy is aware, the institute is currently located on two campuses. The institute's strategic plan is to integrate all facilities on a single site. The rationale for this strategy is the prospect of considerable operational efficiencies and growth opportunities for education in the institute. With this in mind, the Minister is aware that the institute is investigating the possibility of delivering a number of projects, including the student facilities building, and the health and leisure building, through alternative methods. Specifically, the institute is examining an expression of interest proposal.

In broad terms, an expression of interest is an exploration of the viability of providing a range of campus facilities with interested parties in the private sector. The institute advertised its expression of interest in the national media last September and I understand it has received a number of responses. However, the proposal is at the early stages of investigation. The institute will work to progress the process over the coming months.

I thank the Deputy for raising this matter and allowing me the opportunity to clarify the position with regard to capital developments at the Institute of Technology, Tralee.