Paul Kehoe (Wexford, Fine Gael)
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We are meeting with the Minister of State at the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science, Deputy Niall Collins. The purpose of this session is to consider the motion relating to the Technological Universities Act 2018 (Section 36) (Appointed Day) Order 2021, copies of which were laid before Dáil Éireann and Seanad Éireann on 11 June 2021. The format of the meeting is that I will invite the Minister of State to make a brief opening statement. I understand that the members of the committee will defer their questions until the next segment of the meeting. Therefore, I have no issue if he goes over his three minutes. As he will probably be aware, the committee will publish the opening statement on its website following the meeting.

Before we begin, I remind members of the long-standing parliamentary practice to the effect that they should not comment on, criticise or make charges against a person outside the Houses or an official either by name or in such a way as to make him or her identifiable.

This portion of the meeting is solely to legislate for the date of the commencement of the technological university of the Shannon: Midlands Midwest, TUS, and is essentially a technical motion. I call the Minister of State to make his opening statement.

Niall Collins (Limerick County, Fianna Fail)
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A key priority in the programme for Government is the creation and progression of technological universities. I am pleased, therefore, to introduce the following draft order to this committee, the Technological Universities Act 2018 (Section 36) (Appointed Day) Order 2021. Under the Technological Universities Act 2018, an appointed day for the establishment of a technological university and its name in both English and Irish, shall be made by order. The order must be approved by resolution of each House of the Oireachtas and I thank the committee for this opportunity to discuss the matter.

I wish to set 1 October 2021 as the appointed day for the establishment of a new technological university to be known in English as the Technological University of the Shannon: Midlands Midwest and Ollscoil Teicneolaíochta na Sionainne: Lár Tíre, An tIarthar Láir in the Irish language. The establishment of a third technological university in the State is another important milestone for higher education in Ireland and, in particular, for the midlands and mid-west. The merging of Athlone Institute of Technology, AIT, and Limerick Institute of Technology, LIT, creates a new step-change institution of sufficient size, capacity and critical mass to maximise its potential and deliver significant additional benefits to the region.

The Government has a clear ambition to create a series of interlinked higher education institutions of greater capacity and reach across all regions of the country to help deliver on our key national strategic objectives. Technological universities, TUs, are a key component in this strategic approach, providing increased reach, international recognition, greater research capacity, enhanced foreign direct investment, FDI, attraction, skills creation and retention, regional development, enhanced staff and student experiences and opportunities and advanced socio-economic progression. Uniquely, TUs provide higher education programmes at all levels of the national framework of qualifications, NFQ, from apprenticeships right up to doctoral degrees. This attribute provides significant additional opportunities for individuals, students and staff and wider stakeholders, to learn, innovate, undertake research and operate to their maximum capabilities in their own region.

From October, the new technological university of the shannon: midlands midwest will start its journey and drive the agendas of higher education access, excellence in teaching and learning, regional development, research-informed educational provision and strengthened linkages with industry and the community. This is a transformational event for the people of the midlands and the mid-west. The benefits of technological universities are many faceted and we see how they can transform regions elsewhere. I very much look forward to this new technological university bringing those benefits to counties Clare and Limerick, through County Tipperary, up the Shannon and across the midlands to Athlone and beyond.

We all want to ensure prosperity for this generation, which has been so affected by the Covid-19 phenomenon, and for future generations. We want to ensure that they have the foundational skill sets and qualifications to compete and succeed in a hugely altering and highly competitive world. I thank all concerned, especially the staff and students of AIT and LIT, the wide variety of stakeholders in the midlands and mid-west, the international advisory panel, the Higher Education Authority, HEA, the Qualifications and Quality Assurance Authority of Ireland, QQI, and the Department, all of which played a key role, statutory and non-statutory, in getting the fledgling new university to this point of establishment.

I thank members of the committee for their kind attention today. I also thank all Oireachtas Members for their steadfast support for this hugely important higher education project.

Paul Kehoe (Wexford, Fine Gael)
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I thank the Minister of State. At our private meeting earlier we agreed there would be no questions in this segment and that we would delay questions until the next segment of the meeting. This has been a short meeting. I know the Minister of State and the Minister, Deputy Harris, will come before the committee on 15 July. We very much look forward to that meeting.