Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)

If I may respond to the second part of the Deputy's question, most people would agree that the way in which FÁS, soon to be changed to SOLAS, handled the globalisation adjustment fund was not acceptable. As the Deputy probably heard on the radio, there was a breakdown in communication which meant that front-line staff meeting unemployed workers had not been informed about this opportunity. That is to be deplored. As the Minister of State, Deputy Cannon, mentioned, that is one of the reasons we are completely dismantling FÁS and introducing SOLAS. The requirement for access to the globalisation fund is that there must have been more than 500 redundancies within a given period of time in a certain area, and I am not sure what is happening on that front. It is a matter for the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, Deputy Bruton, and his Department.

With regard to the issue of the designation of universities, this is now part of the global world of standards. We have asked Professor Simon Marginson, an Australian academic who is familiar with the Irish third level sector, to consider the criteria that should be essential for a technological university. The designation will mean that a university's primary focus is in the application of technology to industry. The criteria will be clearly set out. The draft criteria were submitted by Professor Marginson earlier this year. They are now being worked on by the HEA and I hope to have them this side of Christmas.

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