Jerry Buttimer (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Ar dtús báire, cuirim fáilte roimh an Aire. Is lá iontach é inniu mar tá ollscoil nua á socrú i gCorcaigh agus i dTrá Lí.

I welcome the Minister to the House and I congratulate him on is appointment. Today is an important day in the framework of the evolution of technological universities, with the dissolution of IT Tralee and of Cork IT and the creation of the Munster Technological University. Many of us remember the days of the creation of Cork Regional Technical College and then its evolution to Cork IT, and now to the Munster Technological University. It is important that we get it right. This has been a very elongated process that has had many false dawns and many different struggles. Ultimately, a technological university for Munster has been achieved because of collaboration and co-operation by many different personnel. On the floor of the House tonight I pay tribute to Dr. Barry O'Connor of the Cork Institute of Technology who is retiring in December, for his stewardship in the past years in achieving today's dissolution. We also remember the former president of CIT, Dr. Brendan Murphy.

The Minister, Deputy Harris, spoke in his address about the borrowing framework that will be put in place for the technological universities. I believe there should be a borrowing framework. This will allow and facilitate the universities to avail of the supports of agencies, such as the European Investment Bank, to develop their mission of service and of building a community of enterprise. It will also create a level playing field with the traditional universities, together with supporting the full continuum of education provision from apprenticeships to degree programmes to PhDs. Therein, the issue of apprenticeships and the need to pursue the apprenticeship programme comes under the remit of the Minister's Department.

The new governing body of the Munster Technological University will be very important. The Minister is acutely aware from his own experience as a public representative dealing with boards of management on public bodies that we need to put in place people of strong professional experience and of vision. To that end, people like Mr. Bob Savage, who chaired the governing body of CIT, deserve great credit, praise and thanks. We need that type of person. Equally, there needs to be a whole level of continuity, and especially now that we are creating a new framework and a new technological university. There must be continuity in that governing body. At the same time, when it comes to the membership of the governing body, I hope that the ETB in Cork will be recognised. It is critical that we nominate and put in place people who will serve, who have vision, who will have impetus and, in this case, come from the point of view of Cork.

I congratulate the Minister on today. This is a good news story, which we all support and celebrate.