Thomas Pringle (Donegal, Independent)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

57. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills further to the recently announced pathway for learners initiative as part of the North West Tertiary Education Cluster, the plans there are for expanding the collaboration within the sector; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15406/23]

Thomas Pringle (Donegal, Independent)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

This question relates to the newly-formed North West Tertiary Education Cluster, which involves Atlantic Technological University, ATU, Donegal ETB, the North West Regional College and Ulster University, and how the Minister sees this developing into the future to benefit both sides of the Border. How will that work? What does the Minister believe will happen?

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

I thank Deputy Pringle for raising these issues on a regular basis in terms of how we can try to get that education cluster in the north west going. Deputy Pringle may be aware that I spoke at the launch of the North West Tertiary Education Cluster last October. That was an opportunity to meet with and thank the leadership of Atlantic Technological University of Donegal, Donegal ETB, the University of Ulster and the North West Regional College, which are the main partners. This cluster builds on what is already a strong history of further and higher education collaboration in the region. It has already led to progression paths, including cross-Border paths for learners in the north west. They have not been waiting around. They have actually got on with it already. They have a number of pathways in place and I commend them on that. We have now recently established a National Tertiary Office within the Higher Education Authority, HEA, and SOLAS, which is important because it provides the ability to move from further and higher education and not have them sided away. It is an office that spans both higher education and SOLAS as well. They are charged with looking at how we can develop new further and higher education degree programmes. I have no doubt from my contact with it that the National Tertiary Office will welcome any proposals from the North West Tertiary Education Cluster. Given the track record of co-operation already in the north west, I have no doubt that this region will be well placed to demonstrate the benefits to learners of enhanced collaboration.

We have set aside an additional €2 million in the current year in ongoing funding to underpin the work of the National Tertiary Office. There are very specific opportunities in the context of North-South relationships to build on tertiary education and research strengths in the north west. We suggest that cluster should come forth with proposals to try to draw down from that funding. I am happy on foot of this question to meet and try to fully support them in any way that I can.

I should also say that we have specific commitments as a Government to the New Decade, New Approach. In conjunction with the shared island initiative, my Department is exploring actively opportunities with both the University of Ulster, specifically the McGee Campus, and ATU in Letterkenny, to see if there is a possibility there of trying to advance the very clear commitments that both Governments gave in New Decade, New Approach, to do more in the education space.

Thomas Pringle (Donegal, Independent)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister for his response. That is a welcome development and provides huge potential. However, in the context of Donegal and what was Letterkenny IT, we were here before. Unfortunately matters fell by the wayside. The whole development of the ATU was looking away from the cross-Border element and we need to get back to that. That is why this is a welcome development. I know the Minister said it is not the case but with the formation of the new National Tertiary Office, we want to make sure that we do not go back to looking back from the Border again in the future. No matter what happens, the development for the region is going to take place. That has to be an integral part of this new National Tertiary Office as well. It will have many issues to look at on a national basis but the cross-Border element has to an important and signature part of it. It is not something that can be looked away from at any stage in the future.

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

I fully agree with the Deputy. As we approach the 25th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement, one of the key areas where we can do a great deal more to embed peace and to try to create economic prosperity, well-being, good jobs and skills is in the cross-Border area. It makes sense, for example, to undertake medical education. Without deviating too much from the question, it makes sense that doctors working in Letterkenny should be able to access the medical school in North West Regional College. I have stood in the new medical school in Ulster University, Derry. It is state of the art. It makes sense. Both myself and the Minister for Health are trying to arrive at a point where we can do all-island medical education.

It makes sense for apprenticeships to be done on an all-island basis. This year we will see cross-Border apprenticeship programmes happening for the first time. I want the National Tertiary Office to be seen not as a top-down diktat kind of office. It is the opposite. It is a fund to encourage people to pitch into and draw down from.

It is a structure to prompt the regions to say what ideas they have about how they can join up education in the various regions. They can then come to us for the funding and support to help make that happen. We have already seen some examples of that with ATU Letterkenny and the new courses this year.

Thomas Pringle (Donegal, Independent)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

There is huge potential there. It has been growing continuously with the support of Donegal County Council, the North West Region Cross Border Group, and so on. It is not the Minister's intention, and I hope it is not the intention of the office, but the office should always look at matters on an all-island basis and not turn its back on that in future. We hope things will not go wrong in terms of the economics and stuff like that, but it has happened in the past, unfortunately, and that has set things back a wee bit. We are beyond that now and I hope we will stay beyond that and that this situation does not arise in future, because there is huge potential there. Letterkenny, Derry, Strabane and so on have huge potential as well. Education must be a vital part of that to make it happen and make it work. There are already thousands of Donegal students at the North West Regional College in Derry, so it is happening on the ground and we just need to ensure it keeps on growing.

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

Not to get ahead of myself, but I know from conversations I have had with the UU, ATU, the shared island unit and others that there is strong and exciting pipeline of projects coming from both ATU Letterkenny and UU Derry with respect to things they can do together. These are in the research space and the medical education space, especially. The senior management teams of both ATU Donegal and UU Derry are meeting to develop a proposal to try to meet the Government's commitment to contribute to the capital investment to support extended provision of the campus and also to address the progress with the linked commitment on the part of the Northern Ireland Executive to bring forward proposals for the development and expansion of the UU Magee Campus. This will include the necessary increase in the maximum number of students to realise the 10,000 student-campus target and a graduate-entry medical school.

We now have a university in ATU, a university in Derry and an ability to interconnect. I would love to come and visit Letterkenny. I would also love to come and see the campus in Killybegs the Deputy and I talked about and see how we can really get the north west going. I will be in touch with him to arrange that.