merrion street

Public Expenditure Minister Brendan Howlin has today welcomed the announcement by his colleague Education Minister Ruairi Quinn that the Grangegorman DIT project has formally issued to market by publication in the Official Journal of the European Union.

DIT are currently the largest provider of higher education in the State with registration for the current academic year approaching 20,000 students. When completed in September 2017 the Grangegorman education facility will accommodate approximately 11,000 students and staff, consolidating half of DIT into a single site. This will derive significant efficiencies for a key third-level institution, which constitutes some 10% of all third-level education places in Ireland.

This Phase of the Grangegorman project will be delivered through Public Private Partnership (PPP) securing value for money for the Exchequer while delivering private sector innovation and commercial and management expertise to the benefit of the State.

This development also represents an opportunity for substantial development and rejuvenation of an important inner city urban quarter. The European Investment Bank have confirmed their involvement in this project due to the significant social, educational, employment and personal development opportunities it offers to so many people.

Job creation has already begun with the largest impact realised during the construction phase of the PPP project. This will create over 2,000 jobs to 2017. Social Clauses will also be included in these contracts to ensure a portion of these jobs are given to the long-term unemployed and apprentices. A local employment charter will also be applied which will target 20% recruitment from surrounding areas.

Minister Howlin stated:

In July 2012 I announced €1.4bn of Stimulus PPPs. The Grangegorman development is the flagship of these PPPs and its timely delivery to market indicates the significant level of work that is being done by the relevant bodies, in this case the Department of Education and Skills, the NDFA and the Grangegorman Development Agency. This is the sixth of the nine PPP projects I announced and I am delighted that the programme is progressing as planned and that these jobs will be created at the earliest possible time.