Donie Cassidy (Westmeath, Fianna Fail)

The Institutes of Technology Bill 2006 is one of the most important items of legislation affecting the institutes of technology sector since the Regional Technical Colleges Act 1992. It provides for an improved strategic framework for higher education and by bringing the institutes of technology under the remit of the Higher Education Authority, HEA, it will facilitate the complementary development of our institutes and universities. The achievement of meaningful collaboration in the tertiary sector is essential if the full potential of higher education is to be realised in Ireland.

The institutes of technology have played a major role in regional development over the past three decades. Participation in higher education has increased dramatically in that time and the opportunities for access and progression which they provide have been a major factor in the creation of the highly educated workforce we have in Ireland today.

The institutes of technology have also been central in the promotion of economic and industrial development in the regions. They are catalysts for development, proving to be an important consideration in the decisions of multinationals to locate in an area. They have also responded to the needs of local industries. In all cases, the creation of meaningful partnerships for research and development and knowledge transfer is a top priority.

Those of us who have travelled with the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, whether on visits to India, China, South Africa, where I accompanied the Minister of State, or Toronto in Canada, in my role as chairperson of the Oireachtas Committee on Enterprise and Small Business, know the greatest challenge facing us in respect of future employment lies in research and development and science. I wish to place on the record of the Dáil our appreciation for the great work done by institutes of technology in respect of future job creation. Athlone Institute of Technology is one such example. The midlands is a favoured location for biomedical companies and Athlone Institute of Technology's programmes in bioscience, biotechnology and toxicology create a pool of talented graduates in these areas,where they are so badly needed. Deputy Devins is present for the debate on this Bill. We know about developments in the area around Letterkenny and Deputy Devins's area of Sligo, about which he will speak. Deputy Devins was a former chairman of the Institute of Technology Sligo. Areas such as Athlone and Carlow have been transformed and the contribution made by institutes of technology to rural Ireland is immeasurable. They have brought opportunities to rural Ireland which had never been seen before. Their current and future achievements are on a par with the introduction of free transport by the former Minister, Donagh O'Malley.

The Bill will enable Athlone Institute of Technology and all other institutes of technology to respond much faster to changes in the environment. The greater autonomy envisaged by the legislation will enable the institutes to contribute more meaningfully to the technological, scientific, commercial, economic, industrial, cultural and social development of each of their regions.

The transfer of responsibilities relating to the governance, funding and operations of the institutes of technology from the Department of Education and Science to the HEA is in line with international best practice. Furthermore, the changes proposed in the Bill will drastically lighten the load of external regulation on institutes of technology and allow them to deliver what the OECD report in 2004 identified as their pivotal role in addressing the knowledge economy.

I congratulate the Minister for Education and Science who has been very forthcoming and who, along with her senior officials, put a considerable amount of effort into bringing the Bill to this stage. She is energetic and enthusiastic and has a wonderful grasp of her portfolio. I congratulate her on bringing the Bill forward for our consideration.

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