Bernard Allen (Cork North Central, Fine Gael)
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Question 6: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if a new third level funding authority will be established with responsibility for institutes of technology as well as universities; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [27542/05]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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As the Deputy will be aware, the Government has approved the drafting of the institutes of technology Bill to transfer responsibility for the day-to-day management of the institutes of technology sector from my Department to a reconstituted Higher Education Authority. This will facilitate the gradual devolution to the institutes of technology of greater academic and managerial autonomy. This is in line with both the recommendations of the OECD review of higher education in Ireland and with Government policy which aims to create a unified strategy within the higher education sector while maintaining the differentiation of mission between the institutes and the universities.

While I have acknowledged that further structural reform of the Higher Education Authority will be necessary to ensure it is properly placed to implement the type of changes proposed by the OECD report, I have also made it clear that the final shape of future policy proposals for the sector will take account of the views of those working in and with it. To this end, my Department is engaged in a wide process of consultation with all interested parties to ensure any such restructuring takes place in the context of a wide-ranging, reform-driven strategic policy for the sector as a whole. The ongoing development of this policy is one of my key priorities and will underpin the wider national agenda, which aims to place Ireland at the very forefront of the emerging global knowledge economy.

Olwyn Enright (Laois-Offaly, Fine Gael)
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I am aware that the legislation is to be published shortly and that the changes to be made will be both wide-ranging and reform-driven. Does the Minister have a timeframe for completing the legislation? Has the Minister decided that university and IT structures will come under the aegis of the Higher Education Authority as it currently exists? Alternatively, does she plan to go further, as the OECD recommendations did, in having a tertiary education authority? It may be that the name rather than the function is different and if that is so, it does not really matter. However, I would like to hear the Minister's reply.

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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The intention is to publish the legislation during this session so I hope it will be enacted next year. I also hope to do the transfer next year so the institutes of technology come under the HEA. The period of office of most of the membership of that board will expire at the end of this month, but under the new legislation it will have to be reformed. It is my intention to ensure that the new appointments will reflect some of the needs of the institutes of technology to prepare them for full membership status.

In the immediate future, it will still probably be called a higher education authority because that it what it is. The real benefit for the institutes is that they will get away from the firm hand of the Department and will have more flexibility in their governance and management. To be fair to them, the institutes are ready for that and I think it will work well. At the same time, we are requesting all the institutes and universities to collaborate on restructuring and reforming. We want to create institutes and universities that are recognised as being world class. The best way we can do that is not by duplicating their work but by ensuring that they can maximise the best of their talents and expertise. All that can come about by having them under the one authority.