CLAIMS THAT State agencies are making major efforts to attract niche industries to Ireland are “just a bunch of baloney”, the Dáil has heard, as Opposition TDs condemned the lack of co-ordination between Government departments and agencies in facilitating educational opportunities with international colleges.

Enterprise Ireland and the Departments of Education and Justice were particularly criticised as the Dáil passed the George Mitchell Scholarship Fund (Amendment) Bill, which honours the former US senator for his role in the negotiations that led to the Belfast Agreement. The fund provides for 12 US students annually to study in Ireland.

Fine Gael Waterford TD John Deasy criticised what he saw as the indifference of the Department of Education, Enterprise Ireland and other agencies in an expression of interest by US institution Mercyhurst College to base their European campus dealing with intelligence studies in Ireland. Mr Deasy said, “We’re in competition with three other countries around Europe. In the case of intelligence studies, their graduates go to the CIA, the FBI and they have a massive business application. It is a growing knowledge-based industry that is booming around the world and they are one of the leaders in the US when it comes to this.”

Minister of State Sean Haughey introduced the legislation which enables “new financial and necessary accounting arrangements to be put in place” for administering the fund. He said a report on improved co-ordination of agencies is expected mid-year.

Mr Deasy told the Dáil “I met the Department of Enterprise, the Higher Education Authority, the Department of Education, the IDA, the OPW and I’ve brought Mercyhurst College officials to meet these people and . . . there was a level of frustration that I’ve never seen before. And certainly it wasn’t the case that there was any real effort made to actually seriously look at what these people were willing to bring to Ireland.”

He continued: “And when I weigh that and balance that against all the talk, frankly when it comes to innovation attracting niche industries well it left me in no doubt that it was just a bunch of baloney.”

Labour education spokesman Rúairí Quinn also highlighted the lack of co-ordination between agencies. “There are people who are actively working against the Department of Education and Science in the context of attracting students to this country,” he said.

“The Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform is continually blocking the efforts of the Department of Education and Science to facilitate students. If we want to pursue the idea of promoting Ireland as a centre for international educational excellence, we will be obliged to take action with regard to the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform, which is putting in place serious barriers in respect of what we are seeking to achieve.”