Brian Hayes (Dublin South West, Fine Gael)
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Question 1433: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the progress in regard to the commitment given in the programme for Government to provide a multi-annual capital fund of €2 billion for higher education institutions to support investment in the development of modern campus facilities with leading edge teaching and learning infrastructure. [47993/08]

Batt O'Keeffe (Cork North West, Fianna Fail)
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In the two years 2007 and 2008, the Government has invested in excess of €300m in developing the country's higher education infrastructure. This is separate from investments planned for the sector in the course of the current year. Investments since 2007 have enabled the Government expend €69m on dedicated research projects under Cycles 3 and 4 of the Programme for Research in Third Level Institutions (PRLTI) thereby advancing national strategic objectives of creating a knowledge economy. Further funding will be expended in the current year again on Cycle 3 and Cycle 4 projects. The Deputy will also be aware that earlier this year I announced the launch of Cycle 5 of PRLTI with planned investments of €300m in generating research capacity.

In addition to PRTLI sponsored initiatives, the Government also funded a €58m investment programme in upgrading existing research facilities. A total of 19 higher education institutions around the country benefited from this scheme last year. In 2007, the Government invested €28m in funding a dedicated research equipment grant.

In terms of under graduate facilities, the Government has provided almost €30m to the institute of technology sector since 2007 to enable institutes undertake programmes of minor works. Additionally, there are 14 mainstream large scale capital projects currently at construction within the sector. Among them are an IT Building at NUI Cork; Engineering Building at Athlone IoT; refurbishment of the Carroll's Facility at Dundalk IoT and second phase of the campus re-development at Mary Immaculate College of Education in Limerick. Phase 1 of the campus development at Mary Immaculate College completed construction in 2008 together with a further 15 projects.

A further 10 capital projects are at varying stages of planning with the target of being on site later this year / early 2010. Among them are the Engineering School at NUI Galway; new library facility at NUI Maynooth; new Law School at NUI Dublin and re-development of St. Patrick's College of Education in Dublin. These latter projects are also separate from the Third Level Public Private Partnership Programme which involves three bundles of 17 projects across 9 institutions all of which are also progressing. These building projects will deliver enhanced facilities in the key strategic areas such as Engineering, IT, Science and Technology, Catering, Tourism and the Arts.