The Minister did not arrive in Cork empty-handed last Friday. Apart from the promise of a name change, he brought with him £1 million to equip and furnish a new information-technology building and the promise that planning would commence on new facilities for staff, a new student centre and a new building for the tourism and catering department.

Approval has already been given to the college for the acquisition of 13.5 acres of land, adjacent to the existing campus, at a cost of £200,000. The land will be used for the medium to long-term development of the college, including the provision of playing fields for sports. If it was not quite the £43 million which the director had pointedly sought, given the announcement of similar resources for Waterford, it was a start.