Marian Harkin (Sligo-Leitrim, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I am sharing time with Deputy Pringle. If the Ceann Comhairle and the Minister might indulge me for 30 seconds, I would like to mention that today is World Bee Day. The connection to education is that many primary schools have excellent projects on the importance of bees to our ecosystem. In that context, I want to mention the late Philip McCabe. He was a neighbouring county man of the Minister's and died a year and a half ago. Philip was president of Apimondia, the International Federation of Beekeepers Associations. More than that, he educated and informed many of us on the importance of bees to our entire ecosystem.

My question is on the progress of the technological university, TU, for the north west. There are three institutes of technology: Sligo IT, Letterkenny IT and Galway-Mayo IT. They are awaiting their technological university research network, TURN, funding. I know it normally comes later in the year but with Covid and so on their incomes have collapsed. Can the Minister guarantee that the funding is still coming? Is there any possibility it might come earlier to allow the necessary work to be done?

On the Government priorities, the three institutes are working together to get a submission by the end of the year. The Minister will be aware that Letterkenny Institute of Technology, LYIT, has also received funding to strengthen its cross-Border links with Ulster University Magee. I support any cross-Border co-operation and it has potential for the entire north west. The setting up of a technological university, TU, is a huge body of work and takes real commitment. I am concerned that the cross-Border project might in some way delay the setting up of the TU. We are aware that even when we are on the list in the north west we tend to come at the bottom of it. I will not go into the detail. The Minister knows that already. In that context, will the Minister guarantee that the setting up of the TU in the north west will not be negatively affected in any way by cross-Border work between LYIT and Magee? I am not asking the Minister to prioritise institutes, I am asking him to prioritise projects.

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