James Lawless (Kildare North, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Regarding the policy framework, I do not foresee any blockage. However, there is a technical difficulty, which is why DkIT has not already been subsumed. The Technological Universities Act 2018 provided that two or more institutes of technology could jointly seek technological university designation through a process. At that time, a number of applications were invited. DkIT's governing body did not pursue that option at the time. We have to respect the autonomy of institutions and decisions made by their governing board.

The situation has now moved on. I understand a new governing board is in place at DkIT and there is a renewed engagement, which I welcome and support. There is great potential in the collaboration that is already progressing with Maynooth University. It makes sense for lots of reasons, including alignment of courses and programmes and geographical factors. The two institutions will very much complement each other. It is already showing itself to be a very productive engagement. Without wanting to commit, and respecting the autonomy of the institutions, I expect closer and more formal collaboration into the future.

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