Paudie Coffey (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Acting Chairman for allowing me latitude in my previous contribution. I will be brief and speak to the amendment this time. I will be interested to hear the Minister of State's response to the amendment. The Bill's wording is that technological universities should promote "an entrepreneurial ethos". To me, an entrepreneurial spirit is already creative and innovative. We should not fall out over this wording.

Regarding the general section on the functions of technological universities, it is important that they be given the tools to attain the intellectual, creative and physical infrastructure capacity that they will need to achieve the objectives and standards that we are setting for them. They should be given any support that is required to elevate them to the standard to which we all aspire. It is not good enough just to set criteria and introduce legislation and then expect institutes to reach the new standards without additional resources and supports. That would be an unfunded mandate. It is all very well for us as policymakers to set the bar high and introduce legislation, but we must apply a realistic aspiration and provide realistic supports, even if it only happens over time. That will come down to the Minister of State seeking support in forthcoming Government budgets, and I look forward to supporting her in that. To achieve the Bill's aspiration and allow technological universities to fulfil the functions that we are laying out, their intellectual and creative capacity will need that resourcing.