Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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164. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if his attention has been drawn to moves within GMIT Castlebar to redeploy staff to the Galway campus and to curtail the continuation of courses; his views on whether these moves fundamentally undermine the role of his working group into the future potential of the GMIT Castlebar campus; if he will direct the board of GMIT to cease these activities until such a time as the working group completes its work; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22820/17]

Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael)
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My Department allocates the recurrent funding to the Higher Education Authority (HEA) for direct disbursement to the HEA designated higher education institutions including Institutes of Technology (IoTs) such as Galway Mayo Institute of Technology (GMIT). The HEA allocates this funding to the institutions and the internal disbursement of funding is then a matter for the individual institution. Core funding is driven primarily by student numbers, either via the Recurrent Grant Allocation Model which is the mechanism used by the HEA to allocate funding or 'free fees' funding.

Higher Education Institutions are autonomous bodies and are responsible for their own day to day affairs, including the allocation of all of its income (both public and private) and for the provision of courses at the institution.

My Department and the HEA recognise the particular challenges attached to multi-campus provision in both GMIT and other institutes of technology. The HEA has begun a major review of the funding allocation model for higher education and this review will include looking at how the future model can take account of the additional costs associated with such arrangements. The Department and the HEA are committed to such multi-campus provision, including Castlebar.

My Department and I along with the HEA and GMIT Governing Body are fully committed to and are in the process of establishing and implementing a viable development plan for the continuance of the GMIT Castlebar campus. GMIT has appointed an Interim Head of the campus in Castlebar to lead this process. This will include looking at the future development of the Mayo Campus as a Centre of Excellence in Health Sciences.

In addition, Taoiseach Enda Kenny, TD, and I recently announced the establishment of a working group which will formulate a plan for a sustainable future of the GMIT Mayo Campus in Castlebar. The Working Group will be required to present a full report to the HEA’s Finance Committee in Q3 2017. The Mayo Campus has a very important role to play in delivering economic growth and driving regional development. That is why the Working Group will be engaging with the Local Enterprise Office, IDA Ireland and Enterprise Ireland, as well as the Implementation Committee of the Regional Action Plan for Jobs West which is charged with overseeing the delivery of 25,000 jobs across Mayo, Roscommon and Galway over the lifetime of the Plan. GMIT is also represented on the Atlantic Economic Corridor Steering Group, which is a key part of the Action Plan on Rural Development.