Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees

Tuesday, 17 December 2019

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills

Dundalk Institute of Technology and SOLAS: Chairpersons Designate

Photo of Jan O'SullivanJan O'Sullivan (Limerick City, Labour) | Oireachtas source

I thank Mr. Malone for his presentation. The big issues have been raised by others. I add my voice on the cross-Border issue in particular. The geographic location and history of DkIT indicates that there has been co-operation, along with Letterkenny Institute of Technology which has a similar relationship with the North. My question concerns Brexit. It is probably going to go through, considering the results of the British general election. Talks are also ongoing regarding getting the Stormont Assembly up and running.

My understanding is that in the North there are two departments with responsibility for education because higher education comes under the remit of a different department from primary and second level education. Assuming that the assembly gets up and running, will DkIT, under the leadership of Mr. Malone, be engaging quickly with Northern Ireland and the assembly to ensure that the kind of relationships built up can continue? Discussions are underway concerning who pays if students from the North come South or vice versa. In general, there will be issues regarding British students because of Brexit, but as I understand it they will not cause too much difficulty. What are Mr. Malone's thoughts on those issues and engaging north of the Border in the new context we are likely to see in the next few months?

Comments

No comments

Log in or join to post a public comment.