Professor Brian MacCraith:

I agree with Dr. Prendergast. In the past week I saw a World Bank report on the density of high performing universities per head of tertiary level population which showed that Ireland came first in the world in this regard. All seven Irish universities ranked in the top 500 in the world.

As regards consolidation, the Minister is actively and aggressively implementing the Hunt report. Much has happened in the past year separately from the international panel report to which the Deputy refers and which I have not yet seen either. For example, Dublin City University has formed a major, deep partnership with NUI Maynooth and the Royal College of Surgeons. Launched by the Taoiseach in June 2012, this three year partnership will be a significant vehicle for DCU in terms of academic programmes, research, internationalisation and other activities. In parallel, an international panel which, in contrast to the other international panel that produced the recent report, consulted all the institutions involved, made a recommendation in the area of teacher education where close to 20 locations were providing approximately 40 programmes. Its recommendation to reduce the number of teacher education institutions to six is being actively implemented, with St. Patrick's College, Drumcondra, the Mater Dei Institute of Education and the Church of Ireland College of Education all moving into Dublin City University. This is a radical and highly significant development. There is a great deal happening, therefore, and it is being embraced by the system.