Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick East, Labour)
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Question 485: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if it is proposed to reduce the number of courses provided at an institute (details supplied) in County Mayo; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [27306/04]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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The institutes of technology are statutory bodies established under the Regional Technical Colleges Acts 1992-1999 and the Dublin Institute of Technology Acts 1992 and 1994. Under the terms of these Acts, the governance and day-to-day activities of the Institutes, including the number of approved courses that Institutes wish to deliver in particular locations, are matters for which the governing bodies and the management staff of the institutes are responsible.

While proposals for new courses and proposed alterations to previously approved courses are subject to my approval in the context of the annual programmes and budgets process, decisions to discontinue delivery of previously approved courses are operational matters for the Institutes in the context of their regular internal reviews of course provision.

If an Institute decided to significantly reduce course provision in a particular campus it would normally inform my Department of the decision in advance of any such reduction. My Department is not aware of any proposal by Galway-Mayo Institute of Technology to reduce the number of courses provided in the institute's Castlebar campus.