Aisling Dolan (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the Minister, Deputy Harris, and the Minister of State, Deputy Collins. I welcome the creation of the new Department of further and higher education, research, innovation and science. I previously worked at NUI Galway, Enterprise Ireland and Science Foundation Ireland. I very much appreciate the importance of research and innovation, linked with third level education, to drawing foreign direct investment and industry to Ireland.

I welcome the update and the detailed information the Minister has provided. I also welcome the recent announcement of extra places in the Skillnet Ireland and Skills Connect initiatives. More than 300 businesses have engaged with that. Regarding apprenticeships, as the Minister said, it is very important to highlight the other opportunities available to students. More than 2,000 students will resit their exams in November and it is very important that all students realise there are opportunities to earn and learn as an apprentice or to do things in further education.

I was very happy to hear the recent announcement of funding for technological universities. This is of huge importance to regional areas. The Connacht-Ulster Alliance is to receive €5.7 million, allocated to the Galway-Mayo Institute of Technology, IT Sligo and Letterkenny Institute of Technology. Right beside where I am based in Ballinasloe, the consortium of Athlone Institute of Technology and Limerick Institute of Technology was also awarded €5 million. I would like to ask the Minister about the timeline for the submission of applications for those technological universities and when they will be formed. It is important to understand the real need to attract investment and industry to regional areas, particularly those areas with regional transition status.