Dáil debates

Tuesday, 30 May 2006

Institutes of Technology Bill 2006: Second Stage (Resumed).

 

6:00 pm

James Breen (Clare, Independent)

Like previous speakers, I welcome the Bill and the part it will play in furthering higher education. Since the inception of regional technical colleges in 1970, the development and participation of students has grown to the point of 50% of all students entering third level education now doing so by enrolling in institutes of technology and more than 20,000 students attending part-time courses in ITs.

However, awareness of the number of ITs and the programmes they offer is still low among the general public. By placing them alongside universities under the umbrella of the Higher Education Authority, this will improve, funding to ITs will increase and the "second class citizen" attitude still adopted by a minority of the general public will be removed.

The role institutes of technology have played in the development of industry cannot be overstated. The specialist areas of catering, hospitality and tourism would not have advanced as far without the certifications and qualifications provided by ITs. Centralising administration under the Higher Education Authority will help to secure the long-term future of these industries and their staffing requirements. Equally, the boom in the arts and creative design industries would never have been so strong without the availability of honours level courses in ITs, which are not available in universities.

The role ITs play in attracting industry to a region, where companies are aware of the availability of highly skilled and highly qualified personnel, should also be recognised. In that regard, I hope the Minister does something to secure the establishment of an institute of technology in County Clare, where currently four of five students who finish third level education must leave the county to gain employment. Will the Minister take note of this fact?

Until now, each institute operated as its own entity answerable only to the Department of Education and Science. The Bill, through the establishment of a governing body to formulate policy and a director to implement policy, would remove this hitherto flaw. One area that I hope the governing body immediately tackles is the poor rate of participation in IT education by the disabled sector of the community. The immediate placement of a disability liaison officer in ITs and a concerted and co-ordinated approach to attract and increase the number of students with disabilities is of paramount importance.

Traditionally, institutes of technology adopted a fluid approach to the transfer of students from one institute to another where personal circumstances may have necessitated such action. I welcome the fact the Bill will make this measure even more accessible. ITs have always attracted students from across the social classes and, with the high staff-student ratio, they helped further the education of those that might never have accessed university education.

I welcome that institutes of technology and universities will not be amalgamated as in other countries, but one concern is the difference in job security in both areas. Staff of universities have tenure enshrined in law but the same does not apply to those in ITs. Will the Minister address this anomaly immediately? I will support the Bill's passage through the House.

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