Mr. Eugene Toolan:

Perhaps I could take up Senator D'Arcy's question on where the MPU goes from here. It is noteworthy that the Minister for Education and Skills, Deputy Quinn, in a recent letter to the HEA regarding its advice to the him on system governance, stressed that there is significant potential for institutional collaboration on a North-South basis to advance cross-Border regional development and strategically advance Irish higher education on an all-island basis.

This particular memorandum of understanding has highlighted three aspects that we particularly want to explore. There may be others in the future. The three are student and staff mobility, the shared delivery of programmes in initial teacher education, and a strategic programme of collaborative research and dissemination. On student and staff mobility, some possible models are being explored by the heads of departments in St. Angela's and the head of the school of education and colleagues in the University of Ulster. The initiatives are in their infancy but the possibilities of summer schools and exchanges during term time, where student teachers can participate in mutually acceptable modules or sub-modules and even accumulate European credit-transfer system credits, are being explored. It is also envisaged that an action plan will be established to make progress on these initiatives, including project development, implementation of the initiatives and evaluation of the initiatives. Obviously, funding will be helpful in progressing these.

We expect that the work we do and the exchanges can be modelled on the excellent work that is already being done under the SCoTENS initiative.

Regarding the shared delivery of programmes in initial teacher education, as members have heard, there are a number of areas of similarity of provision where collaboration can be of mutual benefit to both institutions, including, predictably, in home economics which is the specialism both institutions have but also in the areas of religious education, and Gaeilge at initial teacher education level, as Deputy Colreavy mentioned. We also have common interests in the area of special educational needs through the centre for special educational needs, inclusions and diversity at St. Angela's College and the work that is being done in the area of special educational needs in the University of Ulster. Leadership management at postgraduate MA level is another area we can develop. We are examining the possibility of using modern technology such as video conferencing, virtual learning environments and so on in the delivery of joint programmes.

Regarding the memorandum of understanding, in terms of the strategic programme of collaborative research and dissemination we are proposing, we expect personnel from both institutions will jointly identify areas of research and mutual interest to benefit students and staff, joint bids will be put together to endeavour to secure funding, whether it be through SCoTENS or other sources on which we will be open to advice, and seminars will be held on a rotational basis to facilitate dissemination of findings.

I can deal with the Gaeilge question raised by Deputy Colreavy if that is in order.