Mr. Michael Horgan:

We have probably started already. We have already had a round-table discussion with the heads of all the institutions and they have been making contact with, for instance, UK universities because there is potential for partnerships there, whereby we would be the EU partner and they would be the non-EU partner. Then there is the identification of the markets that are big for UK international students. We should be considering those also to see what the opportunities are there for us.

A question was asked about borrowings, and it is correct that the institutes of technology cannot borrow. This is in the Act which established them. The universities can do so without the approval of the HEA or the Minister. It is just one of those quirks of the statutes. It is probably why some of the institutes of technology are not on as sound a financial footing as others, but this is the fact of the legislation.