Michael D'Arcy (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I wish to raise the issue of Waterford Institute of Technology, because I am from the south east. Senator Cummins will know that this region suffers the most because it is the only region in Ireland without a university. The Minister has given an undertaking that she will look at the issue of a technological university for the south east, which is a very good thing. However, it is very important to realise that a change is not occurring with RCSI. It will still provide the same quality of education as before. There is a change in terms of status in that we are allowing it to style itself as a university internationally.

I am speaking about Waterford Institute of Technology and Carlow Institute of Technology and the possible merger of those institutions at some stage in the future. We cannot just merge them and call it a university without a significant upgrade in the standards that must be applied for those institutions. I do not just want a name change for the south-eastern technological university. I want a university that is able to stand up to scrutiny and provide courses of standing. That is the difference here. What is happening here will not have a major impact on RCSI, but there is a major job of work to be done, as we saw in the past couple of weeks when Waterford Institute of Technology withdrew from the conversation about the merger. The south-eastern technological university must be a university of standing. We cannot just merge them and change the name.