Paddy Burke (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I would like to discuss governance. I can speak about governance because the Mayo campus of GMIT was at a huge disadvantage for quite a long time. When the ETBs were changed, local authorities put members on their governing bodies. Mayo County Council appointed members to the Mayo, Sligo and Leitrim Education and Training Board, but the board responsible for GMIT was the Galway and Roscommon ETB. As a result, the Castlebar campus was downgraded every year for many years.

The new president recently addressed Mayo County Council. I have a Private Members' Bill which I am ready to introduce. It would give the Minister the power to appoint people from a certain region to a governing body. In other words, the Minister would have the power to appoint someone from the Mayo area to help to govern GMIT. That Bill was cosigned by former Senators Mulherin and O'Mahony. I am not going to move it now. The new president of GMIT has advised against it. She has said that the most important thing is representation on the governing body. When the Minister of State is appointing people to governing bodies, I ask him to ensure a good regional balance. That applies not only to the west and north-west, but to all regions. They should all have representation on governing bodies.

This is a golden opportunity. I wish the Minister of State well. I have no doubt that this can be rolled out fairly quickly, given what Donogh O'Malley achieved with transport and education in one or two years. The same thing can be done now. There is great need for it. This is a great opportunity for the young people of this country. It will put us on a level above any other country in Europe.