Jonathan O'Brien (Cork North Central, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Now that I have caught my breath, I will go through my points. I raised most of them last night and we had a discussion about the concerns of the TUI and staff members. The Minister said it was not credible to give any one stakeholder a veto. However, the Government has given vetoes to other stakeholders in other Bills, and last night I pointed out the veto we have given to banks on personal insolvency.

Last night, the Minister said the purpose of technological universities was to allow them to operate on a greater scale and capacity and compete at an international level. However, during the past seven years, €190 million has been taken out of the sector, lecturer numbers have decreased by nearly 10% and student numbers have increased by 35%, which equates to more than 21,000 extra students. The Minister cannot blame those who are being asked to do more with less resources for questioning whether the process is a case of rationalisation.

Last night the Minister said this was not a rebranding exercise. If this is the case, she must commit the resources. Later on Report Stage, we will discuss giving technological universities the power to set their own fees. It is estimated that it will cost approximately €45 million to €50 million. All the documentation I have seen talks about having to find this money in efficiencies. We all know that "efficiencies" means cuts. The Minister must take on board the fact that mergers cannot happen unless all of the stakeholders are in agreement. If she pushes ahead with this section, which states that mergers can take place without the consent and agreement of trade unions, she is heading for industrial action and a flawed process.

While the Minister said she would not guillotine the Bill, we are up against the clock in terms of when the Dáil will be dissolved, whether it is this week or next week. If the legislation is not passed before the Dáil is dissolved, there will be a breathing space and an opportunity for further consultation. The Minister can stand up as many times as she wants in this Chamber and say she has asked for constructive engagement with the trade unions on consultation, but it is not happening on the ground. Constructive consultation is not happening, and that is why trade unions are at their wits' end. They want what is best for the students, and they have been asked to deliver it with decreasing resources. Their voice is critical.

I ask the Minister to re-examine this. It is not a veto, only an amendment to ensure all stakeholders are in agreement before they move to technological university status. If anything less than this happens, the process will be undermined.

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