Seán Sherlock (Cork East, Labour)

I thank the Senator for raising this issue. The National Strategy for Higher Education to 2030, otherwise known as the Hunt report, lays out a clear possible development pathway for amalgamated institutes of technology, which meet specified performance criteria, to seek redesignation as technological universities.

A small number of new technological universities, with their own legislative framework and a distinct mission that is faithful to the ethos of the technological sector, working with existing universities, institutes of technology and other education providers, can enrich the diversity and quality of the Irish higher education landscape.

Following publication of the higher education strategy, the Department commissioned input from an international expert, familiar with the Irish higher education sector, on the detailed performance criteria against which any future applications for redesignation as a technological university would be assessed. In its statutory advisory capacity, the Minister then asked the Higher Education Authority for its formal advice on final appropriate performance criteria. A consultation process on draft criteria has been undertaken by the HEA and it is understood that the HEA hopes to sign off its formal advice to the Minister at a meeting of the authority later this month. Following consideration of this, the Minister aims to be in a position to publish the designation criteria and the process arrangements before the end of December.

The establishment of a technological university will also require legislation and this will be advanced as part of the overall work programme for implementation of the higher education strategy. However, the first step is to provide clarity on the performance criteria, which will enable institutes of technology to consider their future options in an informed way. It is important to repeat that it has to be done in an informed and balanced way. It would not be right to designate a particular structure as a technological university at this stage, it must go through a proper academic and formal consultation process while retaining the need to ensure the commitment is maintained.

Any decision must be made on the basis of sound academic and performance-related criteria. The first step is to provide clarity on those performance criteria, which will enable institutes of technology to consider their future options in an informed way. Once a process is in place, it will be open to institutes of technology to come together to make applications for consideration for re-designation. That is an eminently sensible approach. All applications, including any involving Waterford Institute of Technology, will be considered under an independent assessment process. This is a necessary prerequisite of upholding the quality and international reputation of the higher education system.

There is a clear understanding, on a cross-party political basis, of the need to ensure there is balanced regional development, as referred to by Senator Cullinane. I acknowledged during a recent visit to Waterford Institute of Technology, including the TSSG centre, that world-class research is being carried out there. It is an exceptional entity of which people in the Waterford region can be very proud. The capability and capacity are there, but we must go through a process. Moreover, it must be a logical and informed process rather than a knee-jerk reaction which could create an entity that is not self-sustaining. We must ensure that whatever is created can sustain itself and compete with other institutions. We should also take into account that there are as many students on the campus of Stanford University in California as there are in third level institutions throughout the Twenty-six Counties. We must think relatively and be careful of how we proceed.