John Deasy (Waterford, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

To play devil's advocate, we all read newspaper reports on the dearth of graduates in information technology. This lack of graduates is becoming a problem with technology firms considering Ireland as a place in which to invest and establish operations. The report by the international panel is a radical departure, especially the proposal to merge UCD and Trinity College. Do we need radicalism in third level education? Our higher education institutions compete for funding and reputation. Are they engaged in the type of joined-up thinking required to address issues such as the lack of graduates in the IT area?