Brendan Griffin (Kerry South, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the delegates for their contributions, most of which I was able to watch on the monitor in my office. I seek clarification on the plans for the south east, as referred to by Deputy Jim Daly and Senator Hildegarde Naughton. In terms of higher education, access is the main issue for my constituents. We need to consider how the country will move forward. What can we do immediately on that front? A loan scheme has been mentioned. What are our guests' opinion on same? Has any of them encountered problems with emigrants who want to return to Ireland but, as a result of not being resident in the State for a time, do not qualify for free fees? I encountered this issue recently, given the demographic shifts which occurred in the past few years. A large cohort of emigrants want to come home, but they find themselves locked out of the "free" education system.

Speaking colloquially as a Kerryman, we see major potential for the development of a technical university in the south west, incorporating IT Tralee. What is the realistic timeframe for rolling out the technological university system?