Pages 26 & 27

26 U.C.D. and the Future

(x) We realise that the above table may be criticised on matters
of detail. This has not, however, deterred us from making the calculation,
as our main point in so doing has been to show that such a forecast
of future running costs can be made. We urge that a more accurate
forecast on the above lines be made and published by those who have
at their disposal more detailed and more recent data than we had.

No account is taken in these attempts to estimate future running costs, of
any interest or other annual charges on the capital required for the new build-
ings. As one estimate makes the capital sum as high as £10,000,000, the annual
charges could be of the order of £500,000 if the sum were raised as a loan. Of
course if the cost of building were to be paid out of current revenue over, say a
period of 10 years, an annual sum of the order of £1,000,000 would have to be
raised in addition to running costs.

4. THE NEED FOR ECONOMY

The attempt at estimating running costs set out above, is not to be taken
as an attempt to throw cold water on the scheme for expansion of U.C.D. on
the grounds of costs. We accept that university expansion must take place,
that it will be expensive, and that greatly increased annual sums will be needed
by our universities and colleges for their running costs. We welcome the
Government's decision to accept the Commission's recommendations in so far as
that decision implies the acceptance of the necessity to spend many millions on
the universities.

But we think that the Government should be told the full magnitude of
the sums involved, and that the proposed scheme for U.C.D. expansion involves
greatly increased running costs as well as capital expenditure. We suggest that
the following points deserve careful attention:

(i) If the project is undertaken, funds must be available for its completion
within a reasonably short period. Should the building be stopped or
delayed the College would be dismembered. On the other hand ex-
pansion on the present site affords the advantages —(a) the College
remains a unity at all stages and (b) the necessary expenditure could
be spread over a longer period.

(ii) Money must be found to staff and equip adequately a College on this
scale, while at the same time badly needed help must be given to other
institutions of higher education. To build a larger College than could
be staffed adequately, or to build it to the neglect of existing institu-
tions, would be wasteful.

(iii) It is important that every opportunity for economising by sharing
buildings, staff, equipment, and other resources between the institutions
of higher education in Dublin be examined at the present time. There
is undoubtedly a great deal of duplication and some of it could be
avoided. Such economies would become much more difficult if U.C.D.
were to move to the suburbs.

(iv) It is necessary to consider what effect the U.C.D. project would have
on the Colleges at Cork and Galway and whether it would be possible
or desirable to effect economies by eliminating some of the existing
duplication within the N.U.I.

Problems in the Proposed Move 27

We believe that by an examination of these questions considerable savings
could be made. It is important, however, that opportunities for the expansion
of U.C.D. on its present site do not disappear while such problems are being
studied. Too many such opportunities have been lost in the past. We suggest
that the areas which we deal with later, in the vicinity of the College, should
be acquired or at least an option on them secured immediately.

Economies for the College by Expansion near Present Sites

1. A saving of the capital cost of replacing existing sound buildings, and their
fixed furniture and fittings.
2. Avoidance of the need for duplicate teaching space within the city for
evening, part-time and extra-mural students.
3. A saving of the cost of provision of roads and services already available
in the city, but which would have to be provided on the Stillorgan Road
site.
4. Avoidance of the maintenance costs of these roads and services.
5. Possibilities of saving by co-ordination, and sharing facilities (space, equip-
ment and staff) with other institutions.
6. The possibility of providing the facilities of the 'clinical institute' in exist-
ing city hospitals, and thus avoiding heavy additional building costs.
7. The continued use of part-time staff.
8. The possibility of spreading the cost of building over a longer period while
maintaining the physical unity of the College.
9. The possibility of developing the Stillorgan estates as a capital asset.

E. THE OTHER INSTITUTIONS OF HIGHER EDUCATION IN DUBLIN

1. THE INSTITUTES OF TECHNOLOGY

The College of Technology, Bolton Street, provides courses to primary
degree standard in Architecture and Engineering. The College of Technology
Kevin Street, provides similar courses in Electrical Engineering and in Science.
The City of Dublin Vocational Education Committee has long maintained that
it is necessary to provide these courses (a) as an incentive to the mass of
students and (b) as an outlet for the small number of students who possess
the requisite talents.

With these motives we thoroughly agree. We think, however, that the
provision of these courses, side by side with similar courses in the universities,
is wasteful of resources. Further, the cost borne by the community for each
student who qualifies as an engineer or architect through the institutes of
technology is much higher, due to the small numbers involved, than the cost
borne in producing a university trainined engineer or architect.

Some of the news expressed by a deputation from the City of Dublin Vocational Education Committee as reported by the Commission (Report, p.42)
appear, in our view, to be self-contradictory. They are stated to have assured
the Commission that there would be no duplication of expensive facilities. But
we do not see how professional courses, exactly similar to technical degree