John McGuinness (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail)
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147. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if he is satisfied with the recent proposals from the university presidents recommending five regional clusters; if he has sought further information from the universities detailing the way they intend to work together to improve and develop the range of educational courses available to students within each cluster; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2717/13]

Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
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The submission on system configuration of the IUA to the HEA in response to the landscape process currently underway demonstrates a welcome willingness to engage with the formation of regional clusters. Building regional collaborative clusters of all our institutions is key to the delivery of the objectives of the National Strategy including achieving a more coherent, higher quality education system that is more responsive to the needs of students and enterprise.

Regional Clusters will allow programmes of teaching and learning to be better planned and co-ordinated, resources to be used more efficiently and more flexible student pathways and better progression opportunities to be put in place. The HEA will submit their advice to me in March on an outline configuration for higher education and this will include advice on clusters and their future development. I do not propose to comment on specific proposals in advance of this.