Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

It is an issue that was raised earlier in the week by Deputy Howlin. The position is that the Bill was reintroduced on Committee Stage and will go back to debate on Committee Stage. Before we successfully complete Committee Stage, which was not successfully done in the last Dáil, we need to ensure certain issues are resolved. Some of those relate to industrial relations issues and others relate to the alignment of colleges that wish to become technological universities. This is an important initiative for all regions. I will not contemplate proceeding on a region-by-region basis. We need to see this as the future path for most, if not all, institutes of technology. We want to ensure we have that path, which is available to all regions, and can contribute to the short of balanced regional development that all Deputies want to see.

See this speech in context