Jonathan O'Brien (Cork North Central, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

There are also those who think that if the merger did not progress in the south east, one of the institutes could go ahead and secure technological university status as a single body. I know the proposed legislation to establish a technological university is based on a merged entity. It should be made very clear that to gain technological university status, it is on the basis of a merged entity.