Brian O'Shea (Waterford, Labour)
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Question 1121: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the proposals she has to establish a university in Waterford city; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [24765/05]

Brian O'Shea (Waterford, Labour)
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Question 1122: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the proposals she has to establish a university in Waterford city (details supplied) on the basis that Waterford is the largest city in the region; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [24766/05]

Brian O'Shea (Waterford, Labour)
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Question 1123: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the proposals she has to address the major weakness in the south eastern region regarding the low level of investment in higher education; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [24767/05]

Brian O'Shea (Waterford, Labour)
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Question 1125: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if she has given serious consideration to the concept of the university of the south east with the hub campus in the regional capital Waterford and satellite campuses in the other counties in the region; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [24769/05]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 1121to 1123, inclusive, and 1125 together.

Third level education in the south-east region is provided by the institutes of technology at Waterford and Carlow.

In 2004, an expert group from the OECD carried out a major review of our higher education system. In the course of its review, the expert group visited Ireland and consulted extensively with all the major education stakeholders. In its report, published in September 2004, it recommended that the differentiation of mission between the university and the institute of technology sectors be preserved and that for the foreseeable future there should be no institutional transfers into the university sector.

There are no plans to change the status of Waterford Institute of Technology.

In the event that any institute of technology were to apply for university status, the application would be processed in accordance with section 9 of the Universities Act 1997.

Recurrent funding for third level education in the south-east region in 2005 is approximately €59 million which represents an increase of some €31 million, or 110%, since 1997. In addition, capital investment in third level infrastructure in the south east over this period has been of the order of €83 million.

Brian O'Shea (Waterford, Labour)
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Question 1124: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the proposals she has to bring about a higher participation rate at university for students in the south-eastern region; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [24768/05]

Brian O'Shea (Waterford, Labour)
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Question 1126: To ask the Minister for Education and Science her views on whether admission rates to university from among the population of the south-eastern region are 25% below rates from the west region; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [24770/05]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 1124 and 1126 together.

The most recent evidence available on participation in higher education by county background comes from the HEA review of participation in higher education in 2003. This report shows very encouraging levels of participation in the south eastern region.

The comparable figures for the western counties are as follows:

It will be noted that the data indicated for 2003 confirms that all of these counties are at or in excess of the national average, and Kilkenny is at the national average. I am confident that this trend will continue to increase as the Government continues to improve access measures and financial support for students in higher education.