Micheál Carrigy (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Many of the issues I was going to raise have been covered already. I want to speak about two issues in third level education. I welcome the additional places made available for third level courses throughout the country in recent months to deal with the increase in the number of students seeking to go to college. I want to ask about 2021. I realise I am looking into the future but we are all aware of the serious circumstances of the large number of students who sat their exams in 2019 and who have not got a place in college because of the large increase in points attributable to the system introduced for 2020. That will be an issue. If some of the students do not take up places this year, how will those whom I hope will sit exams in 2021 be affected? Are there plans for an increase in the number of courses in 2021?

I would like an update on the development of a technological university in the midlands and mid-west. The Minister of State will be quite familiar with this. I refer to combining Athlone IT and Limerick IT. This could be transformative for the midlands and the mid-west. Athlone IT and Limerick IT are innovation partners of choice for both industry and academia and are central to the development of the entire midland area.

I welcome the funding already allocated by the former Minister of State, Mary Mitchell O'Connor. It amounts to €90 million over the next three years. I ask that the Government commit to the funding and that more be put in place. Athlone IT and Limerick IT have recently joined the Regional University Network of the EU with the aim of transcending languages, borders and disciplines. This puts their proposal ahead of other technological university proposals, some of which have been mentioned here already. I ask that the proposal for the midlands and mid-west be accorded top priority.