Michael Lowry (Tipperary North, Independent)
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Question 421: To ask the Minister for Education and Science her plans to develop the Thurles Campus of Tipperary Institute; the steps she intends to take to ensure that the Thurles campus will develop and expand into the future; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13036/05]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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In November 2004 I announced the end of the freeze on third level capital funding when I gave immediate approval for key projects in the third level sector. The projects selected have been identified as being of a high national priority and include a number of new facilities to support the provision of additional health skills places and the expansion of teacher training places. I also announced the reintroduction of a devolved grant scheme for minor capital works in the institutes of technology sector. The institute referred to received funding under the scheme.

These announcements are the first steps in the process of addressing the infrastructural deficit in the third level sector. There are many further higher education projects recommended for funding in the Kelly report and I am considering how best to advance a number of these projects in the context of the capital envelope of funding available to me.

The submission by Tipperary Rural and Business Development Institute, TRBDI, to the Kelly review group included several capital proposals concerning campus developments in both Thurles and Clonmel. The review group recommended that the policy framework for the institute should be looked at again before investment proposals could be considered. This is interpreted as being a reference to the TRBDI basis structure. The institute is currently considering its capital development proposals in the context of this recommendation.