Cyprian Brady (Fianna Fail)

This is not just an exciting time for Grangegorman and the Dublin 7 area but for the city of Dublin and the whole third level education community. The investment of over €900 million will be the single largest investment in third level education in the history of the State. It will provide for this country's needs far into the future in a number of areas.

The Grangegorman site is the last remaining major site for development in the city of Dublin, comprising 75 acres, 65 of which will be taken by the DIT and the remainder by the health board. As Senator Ulick Burke pointed out, while the decision for this development was formally made in 1999, negotiations took place for many years prior to that. I met DIT management in the early 1990s and know a plan was formulating even at that stage.

I am delighted the Bill has reached this stage and is almost ready to be put into practice. It is a unique and valuable site. Senator Henry referred to the history of the Grangegorman and St. Brendan's sites. I have spent much time in that area. There is a major historical aspect to the Grangegorman neighbourhood which will be preserved to a great extent by the measures to be taken under the Bill. The development as proposed in the Bill will be integrated and sustainable. This is important, particularly as the area involved has only recently recovered from the bad times of the 1970s and 1980s. The way the Bill has been planned and put together will ensure the sustainability of the campus.

The health care element of the development is essential. The maintenance of the primary care centre, residential, day care and elderly services, intellectual and physical disabilities services and mental health services is crucial to the area. For many years, there have been issues around the integration of past patients of Grangegorman, but those issues have been overcome in the vast majority of cases. The retention of part of the site by the Department of Health and Children is crucial. The integration of services into the educational aspect of the development will prove to be a significant factor over time.

In considering the rationale for the DIT to take this significant step, it was stated that the DIT is based in 39 buildings on 30 different sites. However, it also contains seven libraries, ten canteens, eight admissions offices, seven examination offices and six sports offices spread throughout the city. The foresight shown when the decision was taken to go down this road can only be commended, and I commend the past and present management of the DIT for it. When one considers the make-up of the DIT, which has 20,500 students, 85 full-time programmes, 200 part-time programmes, 4,000 graduates per year, 3,500 apprentices per year and 2,000 staff, it is a massive organisation. The recognition given to it by the framing of the Bill is duly deserved and will pay significant dividends.

The Bill provides at section 12 for access by the local community to the facilities on the campus. This is important, given that the effect it will have on the immediate vicinity will be noticeable. It will be a long-term development. It is hoped it will be completed by approximately 2011. While the first students will have to put up with much building work and disruption, the framework put on the agency in the Bill will ensure any problems that arise can be tackled head-on, or pre-empted in many cases. The provisions in the Bill that allow for the setting up and make-up of the agency will prove in the end to be very effective.

Changes were made in the Dáil to different elements of the Bill, including an increase to the numbers on the agency to include local residents, which is welcome. An important issue was the consultation strategy and the setting up of the consultative group, in which all stakeholders will have a say and a direct link to the planning and final development of the site. With regard to finance, sections of the Bill allow for annual reporting procedures, which are essential to maintaining confidence. There is a definite welcome for this development among local residents, but issues remain to be dealt with, although these can be resolved.

From the perspective of the DIT, Dublin City Council and the various other State agencies involved, there is a definite willingness to co-operate and consult. Dublin City Council has a crucial role to play, particularly in the planning element of the development and the implementation of the plans. I welcome the fact it will be represented on the agency by a councillor and an official. This gives local residents an opportunity to have a direct input through their local representative into the plans and the development, which is welcome. Dublin City Council is in the process of including the development in the development plan for the city, which shows its scope and scale with regard to Dublin city. The effect it will have from an educational and cultural perspective is enormous, not only for its immediate vicinity.

At a recent public meeting to discuss the development, the president of the DIT, Mr. Brian Norton, described the campus as an outward-facing campus. In other words, it is open and accessible, which is a major issue for the local community. I have experience of the community access programmes with which the DIT is involved throughout the city. Some are extremely effective, such as the Dublin inner city schools computers, DISC, programme which provides schools from particularly deprived areas with state-of-the-art technology and backup. These are the areas where this particular development will have the greatest effect. It will provide open access to as many people as possible to take advantage of a state-of-the-art third level facility.