Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Chairman and members for facilitating this session. I know we will try to get through a significant amount of business today, both the motion before us and Committee Stage of the Higher Education Authority Bill 2022. I will, therefore, keep my opening statement short.

Today is a significant day for the people of the south east and higher education in the region. We are taking a firm step towards the establishment of the new technological university on 1 May. I am sure the Dáil, Seanad and committee records and media coverage locally will show that there has been much debate about a technological university for the south east for a very long time. There have been false dawns, ups and downs and disagreements but we are now finally at a point where I am bringing to this committee the draft order which, subject to the committee's scrutiny and approval, I hope to ask Dáil Éireann and Seanad Éireann to approve very shortly.

The Technological Universities Act 2018 (Section 36) (Appointed Day) (No. 2) Order 2022 is an order under the Technological Universities Act. It must do two things, namely, choose the day on which the new technological university is established and decide a new name for the technological university. As the Chairman will know, the order then needs to be approved by resolution in each House of the Oireachtas.

I propose that we set a date of 1 May 2022, as promised to the people of the south east, as the date for the establishment of the new technological university and that it will be known as the "South East Technological University" or "Ollscoil Teicneolaíochta an Oirdheiscirt" in the Irish language. The signing of this order will bring about the dissolution of the Waterford and Carlow institutes of technology. I am very conscious that this will be the fifth technological university to have been established. To establish a technological university one must dissolve the institutes of technology. That can be quite an emotional moment in many ways because people have dedicated their careers to building institutes of technology that we can be really proud of. I pay tribute to everybody in Carlow Institute of Technology, CIT, and Waterford Institute of Technology, WIT, who have worked so hard to get us to this point. I can say categorically that we would not be at this point of being able to establish a technological university for the south east were it not for all of the progress, work and efforts of those two institutes of technology over many years. I greatly appreciate the leadership shown by all of their staff, students and student bodies, which have provided huge support.

This will be the fifth technological university in the State. That is another important milestone for the country and the south east. The new technological university will provide a multi-campus university presence, as people know. The new technological university will increase access to higher education, drive enhanced regional development and increase opportunities for students, staff, business and enterprise, and local communities. It will deliver a higher education institution of scale and reach, which will benefit many students in the region. I look forward to seeing these benefits and the south east and the new technological university take their rightful place in the higher education landscape in Ireland.

The lacuna that has existed for years is now closed. The establishment of the South East Technological University will allow people throughout the region to obtain a university degree in their home place. I am delighted to see that milestone being reached and congratulate all involved.

While we often have rows in this place, which is healthy in a democracy, I acknowledge the cross-party support that has largely existed for this project. The Chairman has been a driving force in this for many years. We have had many meetings of the all-party group, which has been a key vehicle and help in arriving at this point.

There will be other days on which to discuss the need to deliver on capital projects. Deputy Ó Cathasaigh and others will remind me about wanting to expand. We will expand the physical footprint of the campus in Waterford. The purpose of this meeting, however, is straightforward; it is to pick the designation date and the name and to ask the committee to approve that to go before Dáil and Seanad Éireann.