Lucinda Creighton (Dublin South East, Fine Gael)

I am taking this Adjournment matter on behalf of the Minister for Education and Skills. I thank Deputy Coffey for raising this matter and Deputy Conway for her contribution.

The question of the establishment of a university in the south east must be considered within the overall reform agenda for the higher education system, outlined in the national strategy for higher education to 2030, which is now the blueprint for further development of the sector. I am also cognisant of the commitment in the programme for Government that "we will explore the establishment of a multi-campus technical university in the south east."

The Minister agrees with the analysis and conclusion of the national strategy for higher education to 2030 that there is no case for the creation of any new universities on the basis set out in section 9 of the Universities Act 1997.

However, the Minister also believes that the development of a small number of technological universities, of equal status and of significant strength and quality, with their own legislative framework and a distinct mission that is faithful to the ethos of the technological sector, would complement our existing universities in meeting the full range of needs of students and wider society. There is strong merit in the development pathway that has been laid out in the strategy for the creation of technological universities. It is important that any process of re-designation focuses on the capacity of amalgamated institutes of technology to meet mission-relevant performance demands.

Already, the system is moving to respond to the recommendations of the strategy in a dynamic and organic way. The driving force behind any discussions should be sustainability and excellence. Institutes should take time and care to ensure that the choices they make are in the broader public interest as well as in the interests of the institution. Central to ensuring a designation process with integrity and credibility will be strong and relevant criteria against which proposals for designation can be rigorously assessed and that will maintain and enhance the necessary diversity in the system.

To build on the parameters and principles laid out in the national strategy regarding the evolutionary pathway for the institutes of technology, international higher education expert Dr. Simon Marginson was commissioned by the Department of Education and Skills to consider the establishment of benchmarks for re-designation, informed by international developments in this field as well as by the Irish context. The Department has now received his input, and the Minister has asked the HEA, in its statutory advisory capacity, to engage in a focused consultation on the draft criteria. We look forward to its response in the coming weeks. It is intended to publish the criteria when they have been finalised so that institutes of technology will have early direction on the expected demands for designation, enabling them to consider appropriate amalgamation options and prepare for future performance requirements.

I have noted the comments of the Deputies and I will happily pass them on to the Minister. I hope that on the publication of the report there will be an opportunity to discuss this again. I again thank the Deputy for raising the matter.

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