Brian Hayes (Dublin South West, Fine Gael)

The WIT application dates back to 2005. The Minister commissioned Dr. Port's report to get her through the general election and she knows this was published on 20 February, the last time my colleagues put down a question on it. The Minister stated at the time she would come to a view on the report within a matter of weeks. Will the Minister please get off the fence and make up her mind on the issue?

The Cabinet is clearly affected by dissension and division on the subject, as could be noted from the rather public spat the Minister had with the Minister for Social and Family Affairs, Deputy Cullen, at the Fianna Fáil parliamentary party meeting last month. When will the Minister make up her mind on the issue? Her indecision is leading to total instability within the higher education sector and she must come to a view sooner rather than later as to the future and the responsibility and need for a university in the south east. When will we get the decision?

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