Brian O'Shea (Waterford, Labour)
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Question 308: To ask the Minister for Education and Science further to Parliamentary Question No. 171 of 7 December 2006, if she will confirm that a person (details supplied) will complete their work on the preliminary assessment of the submission made by the governing body of Waterford Institute of Technology under section 9 of the Universities Act 1997 before the next general election; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [43311/06]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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As the Deputy is aware, the date of the next General Election has not been yet been determined. In requesting the independent advice of Dr. Jim Port, I have asked him to conduct a thorough assessment of the submission made by the Governing Body of Waterford Institute of Technology having regard to national strategy for the development of Irish higher education, implications for regional development in the South East in the context of the National Spatial Strategy and any likely implications for the overall structure of higher education in Ireland.

While I have not set a specific deadline for the completion of his work, I do expect to receive Dr Port's advice in the first half of 2007.