Matt Shanahan (Waterford, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I do not mean to be adversarial, but I will point out two pieces of data. First, the recent CSO figures show that the discretionary spend in the south east is 40% behind the east coast. I think that would equate to a difference. The level of job creation might be good, and the quality of the jobs is good. Second, and the Minister has said this himself, is the need for the university. I would say to the Minister that no exceptionalism is being offered by the Government at all to the region in terms of third level. That has not changed. We are now three and a half or four years into the technological university process and there has been no capital development.

Most importantly, I ask the Minister to bring to his colleagues the concept of changing the borrowing framework and allowing the TUs to compete properly and effectively. They should also change the lecturers’ contracts and the executive paradigm that has been discussed ad nauseam with the Department. They have not done that. Until the Minister does that, they are not going to take the ankle chains off the executives down there.