Pearse Doherty (Donegal, Sinn Fein)
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313. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the amount of surplus or deficit recorded by Letterkenny Institute of Technology in each of the years 2007 to 2017, by year and yearly amount, in tabular form; the cumulative surplus or deficit being run by the institute; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54452/17]

Pearse Doherty (Donegal, Sinn Fein)
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314. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the income earned or received by Letterkenny Institute of Technology including for current and capital purposes, by the State or by way of private companies, by income stream in each of the years 2007 to 2017, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54453/17]

Pearse Doherty (Donegal, Sinn Fein)
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315. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the amounts allocated to Letterkenny Institute of Technology in terms of core grant, fees and student contribution, by income stream in each of the years 2007 to 2017; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54454/17]

Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 313 to 315, inclusive, together.

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 Letterkenny Institute of Technology (LYIT).

Upon my appointment as Minister I commenced a programme of reinvestment in the education sector. This included an increase in annual recurrent funding to LYIT by €2.3m. 

In their financial statements y/e 31 August 2016, the institute achieved a reduced deficit of €137k ( 1,358k in 2015) and will meet this deficit through accumulated reserves.

In 2017, the institute was budgeting for an operating surplus for the first time in six years and confirmed in late 2017 that this was on target for achievement.

However, an annual deficit of €1.4m per annum is currently being attributed to School of Tourism, Killybegs. This is a function of relatively low student numbers coupled with relatively high staff numbers.  To seek in part to address this issue, I, approved the provision of ring-fenced funding of €750k per annum for 4 years from 2017 to 2020.  This funding was approved following recommendations of the 2014 Working Group which was appointed to examine the financial viability of the Killybegs campus.  The institution is working closely with a financial expert and the HEA to ensure a financially viable future for the campus.  

I have attached the following tables in reply to the queries:

1:  Letterkenny IT Records of Annual Surplus/Deficit 2007-2016 (calendar year)

2:  Letterkenny IT Income - state vs non state - Income sources 2007-2016 (academic year)*

3: Letterkenny IoT summary - core grant, fees and student contribution by income stream (calendar year)

*Please note the most recent figures available are for the 2015/16 academic year.

Table 1. LYIT - Surplus/Deficit recorded 2007-2016

Table 2.

Table 3