An investment of almost €1.9 billion is required over the next 10 years just to meet the infrastructural needs of the third-level sector here, a new report has said.
The report on the future capital needs of the sector, released yesterday by the Minister for Education and Science, Mr Dempsey, shows that a large number of existing third-level buildings are in need of renovation.
Significantly, it also states that the numbers of people entering third-level will continue to grow. This is partly because colleges may not have made sufficient provision for post-graduate students in projecting future student intake.
The report, compiled by a high-level working group for Mr Dempsey, says that as a result, some €933 million is needed for essential health and safety, national, and strategic priority projects. Of this, €599 million is required in the next five years.
An additional €90 million a year will be required over the next 10 years to cover minor capital works, and the replacement and refurbishment of equipment in third-level institutions.
The release of the report coincides with the publication on Thursday of the OECD's review of higher education, which highlighted the lack of investment in third-level in the State.
Welcoming the report, Mr Dempsey said its proposals on the phasing of funding would need to be considered during the current estimates process.
"While identifying infrastructure deficits across the sector, the report also sets out projects for priority investment if Ireland is to sustain a high-quality higher education and research sector, and remain internationally competitive," he said.
"Given the national strategic interest in investing in third-level as a key driver of economic and social progress, the funding requirements identified present a challenge in terms of how the Government will decide its priorities within the public capital programme."
The report is based upon a number of key considerations. These include the expected future demand for higher education and research, the skills needs of the Irish economy, and Government targets to widen participation in higher education for under-represented groups.
It follows submissions from the third-level colleges in which they outlined what they believed were the most important priorities for capital funding. These included funding for projects in key areas such as nursing, engineering, physiotherapy and teaching, some of which have been approved in the report.
Commenting on the report, Dr Don Thornhill, chairman of the Higher Education Authority, said it strongly endorsed the findings
"There is a pressing need to enhance investment in higher education and research if we are to achieve our ambitions to be a knowledge economy."