Paudie Coffey (Fine Gael)
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I wish to raise the need for the Minister for Education and Science to clarify when he proposes to publish the report from the National Strategy Group on Higher Education, chaired by economist Dr. Colin Hunt.

This strategy group was commissioned over a year ago and the Minister stated in the Dáil on 24 November 2009 that he expected the report to be finalised early in 2010. We are now at the end of February but there is still no sign of the report.

The report will cover many areas of higher education such as funding, resources, student numbers, registration and possibly fees. Third level institutions, development plans and organisational structures will also be covered. The areas I am most interested in are the roles of higher education in developing our economy in the regions and creating employment in the society it serves.

I refer to two items in the terms of reference the strategy group must examine. The second term of reference is the role of Irish higher education in modern society, while the third is to identify the operational framework of the higher education system, including the number and role of institutions within which it will be enabled to deliver on these policy objectives.

I am specifically interested in the application for university status by Waterford Institute of Technology. This strategy the group is working on will guide development for the next 20 years. I am hopeful it will contain a commitment and a delivery timeframe for a university for the south-east region, which has a population of over 460,000.

In February 2006, Waterford Institute of Technology made its university application to the Department of Education and Science. Subsequently the Government commissioned the Port report as an interim measure and since then the national strategy group was established under Dr. Colin Hunt. In the south east, there is a high dependence on manufacturing and construction and Waterford has suffered more than most other regions with regard to job losses. We now need a clear strategy to create employment and a catalyst for such job creation. University designation for Waterford Institute of Technology would be that catalyst.

The Government has prevaricated on this issue since 2006. I remind the Minister of State that the Port report found the economic benefits of university designation for Waterford would, at the least, offset public expenditure. It also found the Waterford application has great merit but, again, there has been no Government action.

For the sake of education, employment and the economic future of the south-east region, I hope Waterford Institute of Technology's application is acknowledged in this report and that it is recommended for university status. The time for reports, committees and talking is over, it is now time for action. We must create jobs in the regions and what better way than designating WIT a university?

I hope the Minister of State will have news on when the higher education strategy will be published. The future for the next 20 years will depend on the development of higher education and its impact on the economy and society.

Seán Haughey (Dublin North Central, Fianna Fail)
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It is appropriate that there are graduates of Trinity College, Dublin, in the Gallery. As a former graduate myself, I welcome them.

In February 2009 the Minister for Education and Science launched a process to develop a new national strategy for higher education. The process is being led by a high level strategy group under the chairmanship of Dr. Colin Hunt, comprising national and international expertise.

The role of higher education in society has never been more important. It is critical in enabling people to reach their full potential as individuals and as active citizens, and in creating the skilled labour force that Ireland needs to develop an internationally competitive knowledge based economy.

Demand for higher education from school leavers continues to grow and in recent years we have also seen an increase in the number of mature students in higher education. These trends are very welcome in the context of Ireland's objectives for developing the smart economy. However, responding to the needs of a growing and diverse student population while ensuring the system can deliver a high quality learning experience poses a number of challenges for the sector.

The development of a new national strategy for higher education affords a timely opportunity to review the environment for higher education and the challenges and vectors of change that are impacting on the sector. The strategy process is examining how well Ireland's higher education system is performing, how it ranks internationally, how well existing resources are being used and how the system can be reconfigured to best meet the many challenges it faces over the next decade, having regard also to the key role it has to play in contributing to Ireland's economic recovery.

The key objective of this strategy process is to develop a vision and related set of national policy objectives for higher education for the next 20 years with more focused targets for the sector for the next five years. The strategy group has met formally on nine occasions since its establishment last February and has also engaged in extensive consultations with stakeholders and wider interests.

In May 2009 an open call for written submissions was advertised by the strategy group. There was an excellent response from a wide range of stakeholders on all aspects of the higher education system. Over 100 submissions were received from institutions, educational bodies, representatives of the enterprise community and a number of individual personal submissions. These submissions provided valuable input for the group on a range of issues on which the development of the strategy has focused. The submissions are publicly available on the Higher Education Authority website.

Following this public consultation process, a number of independently facilitated discussion forums were held with members of the academic community, third and fourth level students, enterprise and business leaders, second level policy makers and teachers. The material gathered in these fora also provided valuable input to the strategy group's deliberations.

The chairman, Dr. Colin Hunt, and members of the strategy group have also met with institutional leaders from the universities, the institutes of technology, private third level colleges and colleges of education. Bilateral meetings were also held with all the trade unions representing staff in the higher education sector.

The comprehensive consultation process being undertaken by the group is time intensive. In light of the key contribution higher education can make to the future growth of the economy and the well-being of society, however, it is critical that the strategy group be in a position to gauge and reflect the views of a wide range of stakeholders, including those working in the sector, current and potential students for whom the experience of further study will be of life-changing importance, and society in general. It is understood the strategy group is finalising its deliberations and consultations. It is expected that its report will be submitted to the Minister before the summer. I note the Senator's comments in respect of Waterford Institute of Technology and I again thank him for raising this matter.

Paudie Coffey (Fine Gael)
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I thank the Minister of State for his reply. As already stated, however, as recently as 24 November last the Minister for Education and Science indicated in the Dáil that the report would be published early in the new year. The Minister of State has just said that it will not be published until the summer. As in the case of the crisis the country currently faces, clarity and certainty are required, especially if those in the higher education sector are to make plans for the next 20 years.

By the time the report is published, some 18 months will have passed. In the context of responding to the situation that obtains, it is not acceptable that this amount of time has been allowed to pass. I cannot overemphasise the fact that early publication is essential. I am sure that, like me, the authorities at Waterford Institute of Technology are in the dark with regard to the Port report which was commissioned to investigate the possibility of upgrading the institute to university status. The Port report will be superseded by the report of the strategy group which is not now due to appear until the summer.

I thank the Minister of State for coming to the House to take this matter. I look forward to the eventual publication of the strategy group's report.