Joe Carey (Clare, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I welcome this Bill, which is updating the previous Act that is now 50 years old. We can all agree that a lot has changed in the world of education over the last 50 years. After all it was only a few years after free education was introduced. The world has changed and now most second level students aspire to receiving a third level education. I congratulate the Minister, Deputy Harris, and the Minister of State, Deputy Niall Collins, on taking up their important portfolios and setting up a new Department to manage this most important sector. There is no doubt that the Minister, the Minister of State and this new Department have hit the ground running with the formation of a number of new universities and colleges.

The creation of the Technological University of the Shannon is an exciting development for the mid-west, with the incorporation of the former Limerick Institute of Technology, LIT, and the former Athlone Institute of Technology. It has been warmly welcomed throughout the mid-west and I look forward to the many new opportunities it will bring, including the expansion of educational facilities into many new campuses. This will include the campus in Ennis, County Clare. When that new campus opened a number of years ago the then president of LIT, Professor Cunnane, said:

The reality is that the new campus will act as an economic generator, retaining people in Clare and potentially adding value to business and industry by providing additional high-quality education options locally. Studies show that for every euro invested in an Institute of Technology, four euros will be generated in the local economy.

That is exciting and positive for County Clare and Ennis. I am delighted that this new Ennis campus of the Technological University of the Shannon will also offer evening and part-time courses to those who want to undertake further studies. I welcome the major part that these new universities and colleges will play in the decentralisation in our third level colleges. Students will be able to receive their third level qualifications much nearer to home, making college attendance more affordable. Irish third level colleges have a proud history of recruiting students from all over the world and our graduates go all over the world. I hope that after the passing of this Bill we will continue to recruit students from all over the world and to build relationships with other colleges throughout the world.

It would be remiss of me if I did not mention Professor Teresa Lambe and Professor Adrian Hill and their work in the last 15 years in the study of fire risk detection and creation of vaccines. Professor Lambe is a graduate of UCD from Kilcullen in Kildare and her research allowed her to lead the University of Oxford team in building the Astra Zeneca vaccine so quickly during the pandemic. This proved that Irish universities educate the brightest and best in the world. It is in this context that I mention that we have had the successful young scientists competition for secondary students for over 50 years. The HEA might consider organising a similar competition for third level students to display their research and show the world the quality of our third level education.

We should also see a full integration of these colleges with the local communities among all age groups. The HEA might be encouraged to promote fourth age learning programmes for our senior citizens. I would like to suggest that we would have some colleges in the regions for specific sectors. I would encourage the HEA to examine the feasibility of working with local industry and government on that. I am particularly excited by the proposals of UL and Clare County Council to develop a strategic development zone, SDZ, on the Clare side of the UL campus. This proposal will create a new and distinct model of academic engagement, a mix of research, education, industry and enabling infrastructure. This will be a game-changing project for the mid-west region and for Ireland. I expect that this proposal for an SDZ will come before Cabinet soon and I would urge the Minister, Deputy Harris, and the Minister of State, Deputy Niall Collins, to support this project as strongly as possible.

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