David Cullinane (Waterford, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the Minister. It is very welcome to have a Bill that overhauls the higher education system. I support many of the provisions in the Bill. I wish to raise a number of issues in relation to the south east. I am sure the Minister expects that from colleagues across the State where new institutes of technology are being put in place.

I begin with a number of points on the autonomy piece, which is really important. I sat on the Committee of Public Accounts for several years and I fully agree we need to have real transparency and accountability regarding the higher education system and higher education institutions. In my time on that committee I saw that there are many areas where that is not in place. One of those areas is intellectual property rights when spin-out companies emerge from institutes of technology and universities, and conflicts of interest may have to be managed. It is a really important area because I support innovation and spin-out companies, but it is about getting the process right and we need to see reform there. I have a concern about autonomy and the limitation of the board of either a university or an institute of technology. I refer to the fact that even if a higher education institution wants to increase the membership of the board, it will not be able to do so. That seems problematic to me but maybe the Minister will be able to set out the rationale.

I have a number of questions. I would love to be able to give the Minister time to respond from my own time but I do not think it is possible. I will pose the questions anyway and he might be able to come back to me. First of all, there is obviously much excitement about the possibility that on 1 May this year, the south east will have a university for the first time, if that designation date happens. I have a question on the process and whether any additional clarity is being sought by the institutions in Carlow or Waterford on that process and criteria. Is it the case that the process is still on track? Are we still looking at 1 May for designation? I see the Minister is in agreement. If that is the case, it is really good news.

The second question relates to clarity on the funding commitments for Waterford specifically. The Minister might remember there was a meeting of Oireachtas Members from across the south east. One of the commitments that was given was there would be very substantial funding committed to the south east. This applied especially to Waterford in order that the footprint of the campus be expanded. We have not seen that yet. There has not been any announcement. There has been discussion and dialogue with developers, landowners and so on but that has been going on for a long time now and we need to bring clarity to it. As we approach 1 May, the goodwill demonstrated by the Minister needs to be translated into real action. There is also the appointment of a new chairperson. When is that likely to happen? Unfortunately, the Minister cannot come back in as the rules do not allow it. If they did I would certainly give him the minute and a half I have left to respond. He might come back to me in writing, if he can, on those matters.

In conclusion, it might be no harm and a good opportunity for the Minister if he were to brief Oireachtas Members from the south east again over the next of weeks on where we are with this process, to assure us we are on track for 1 May and to update us on the financial commitments that were given. This will ensure we can hit the ground running and have a first-class university for the south east. It is timely that this Bill is happening now and we are going to see a new legal framework put in place for higher education institutions at a time when the south east is going to see, we hope, a university on 1 May.

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