Séamus Healy (Tipperary South, Independent)
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Question 477: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the position regarding the transfer of an organisation (details supplied) in County Tipperary; the position regarding the expressions of interest by property developers; the timescale for the evaluation of the expressions of interest; the timescale for the appointment of a developer, commencement of the building work and transfer of the Institute; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [23591/06]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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The Report of the Capital Review and Prioritisation Working Group under the Higher Education Authority (HEA) sets out a strategy to meet the future capital needs of the third level sector. In its submission to the Review Group, Tipperary Rural & Business Development Institute (TRBDI) included a proposal to develop a permanent campus in the planned Clonmel Technology Park (Ballingarrane Estate). The Report of the Review Group stated that the proposal, which involves the disposal of an existing property in Clonmel and the building of alternative facilities without incurring any Exchequer funding, has merit.

In March 2005, my Department gave TRBDI approval to proceed with seeking expressions of interest from private sector property developers to determine what could be provided at Ballingarrane in exchange for the Institute's current property in Clonmel. The request for expressions of interest was advertised publicly in June 2005. An evaluation committee, set up by TRBDI to evaluate the expressions of interest, met on the 2nd June 2006. The evaluation committee reviewed the expressions of interest and a shortlist of candidates was drawn up. The Institute will now enter into more detailed discussions with each of the shortlisted candidates with the objective of identifying a preferred bidder.

These discussions with the shortlisted candidates will represent a crucially important phase in this evolving process. Accordingly, it is not possible to specify the likely duration of these discussions. If successfully concluded, and a preferred bidder is selected, it is to be expected that still further and more specific discussions are likely to follow with the preferred bidder. It is at these discussions that significant points of detail including matters such as the appointment of a contractor, duration on site and associated issues shall be firmly resolved such that they can be incorporated into binding legal agreements.