Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I agree that the technological universities have the potential to enhance progress in the delivery of national and regional priorities significantly, bringing higher education into the regions while creating institutions that are mandated by law to interact with local business and local industry on the development of courses. They also place an emphasis on matters like inclusion, access and serving the needs of their local populations. Their potential includes access to higher education, research-informed teaching and learning, research capacity building, increased support for enterprise and skills development, and enhancement of socioeconomic progress and regional development.

I am proud to say that we have successfully established a network of five technological universities across 25 campuses, including a university presence in the south east for the first time. We also have the Munster Technological University in the Deputy's own region. I was delighted to be there recently and will be there again next month.

The focus of the pivotal post-establishment technological university, TU, phase is now on enabling these new universities to deliver on their functions and specific regional missions. This is important. Even in a country the geographic size of Ireland, the needs of regions differ and all five TUs need not look exactly the same. They need to be empowered to develop to suit their respective regions. My Department and the Higher Education Authority will be supporting the TUs to achieve the transformation necessary to deliver on these goals.

The higher education public private partnership programme has a specific focus on enhancing infrastructure in the TU sector, which is badly needed. A number of projects are planned to enter construction next year. An ambitious new phase of capital development is also being advanced through the technological sector strategic projects fund. I expect to be in a position to announce a number of capital projects from that fund in the coming weeks. Work is also taking place on related agendas, including physical and digital infrastructure and borrowing frameworks, particularly so that TUs can build student accommodation.

Work on an OECD review of the academic contract career structures and leadership in TUs is also approaching completion and I hope to report to the Government later this year in this regard. We are extremely committed to helping them on the next stage of their journey.

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