728 Deputy Tom Hayes asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Education and Skills her plans for improving Tipperary Institute in the future; and the status of the Ballingarrane Estate campus in Clonmel is at in relation to the organisation. [31585/10]

Discussions are continuing between Tipperary Institute and Limerick Institute of Technology with a view to institutional merger. The proposed merger has the support and agreement of the Governing Boards of both institutions and they are currently working to a target of September 2011 for completion of the arrangements for a formal merger. The infrastructural needs of the emerging unified organisation will be examined on completion of the merger.

729 Deputy Mary O’Rourke asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Education and Skills the finance that has been provided to the Institute of Technology in Athlone, both current and capital for 2007, 2008, 2009 and 2010. [31606/10]

As the Deputy may be aware my Department allocates recurrent funding to the Higher Education Authority (HEA) for direct disbursement to the institutes of technology. It is a matter for each institution to determine how the block grant received from the HEA is allocated internally. My Department allocates capital funding directly to the Institutes of Technology.

Details of recurrent funding, provided by the HEA to Athlone IT, and capital funding, provided directly by my Department, in the years 2007 to 2009 and to date in 2010 are as follows: