Brendan Griffin (Kerry, Fine Gael)
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196. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills his views on a matter (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19432/16]

Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael)
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As the Deputy will be aware, the new Programme for Government outlines that this new Government will continue to support the creation of Technological Universities.

This is in line with the National Strategy for Higher Education to 2030 which provides a framework for the development of the higher education sector to 2030. With regard to the institute of technology sector, the Strategy recommended significant reforms to position the sector to meet national strategic objectives. In particular, the Strategy recommended consolidation within the sector and a pathway of evolution for those consolidated institutes of technology, to allow them to demonstrate significant progress against robust performance criteria and to apply to become technological universities.

There are currently four consortia engaged with the process to become designated as TUs. These are TU4Dublin (Dublin Institute of Technology, Institute of Technology Tallaght, Institute of Technology Blanchardstown), Technological University for the South-East (TUSE – consisting of Waterford Institute of Technology and Institute of Technology Carlow), Munster Technological University (MTU – consisting of Cork Institute of Technology and Institute of Technology Tralee) and the Connacht Ulster Alliance (CUA – consisting of Galway-Mayo Institute of Technology, Institute of Technology Sligo and Letterkenny Institute of Technology).

Future Funding for landscape reconfiguration in the Higher Education sector:It is recognised that these changes to the landscape of Irish higher education carry some up-front additional costs and the Higher Education Authority (HEA) has provided for a fund to support HEIs with these costs. In terms of additional financial support, having regard to the benefits that will arise for the institutions, students and the higher education system more generally, the HEA has provided funding in 2013, 2014 and 2015 to provide some support to institutions involved in the TU process, the details of which are set out for each consortium below.

In relation to 2016, the HEA have ring-fenced a level of funding to support costs arising from the continuation of landscape reform projects as part of the implementation of the National Strategy for Higher Education. In line with this, the HEA issued a call for submissions for funding support to higher education institutions involved in restructuring projects.

Funding Allocations: Arising from the submissions received and subsequent detailed presentations made to the HEA, all four consortiums that are involved in merger processes with the ultimate aim of becoming Technological Universities have been allocated additional funding as outlined below. Part of this funding arises from a specific €2 million allocated in Budget 2016 to support Technological University projects. Notification of this additional funding was recently provided to the consortiums involved. The funding for 2016 has been allocated as follows:

TUSE: €1.445Million

TU4 Dublin: €1.3Million

MTU: €1.2Million

CUA: €0.757Million

Total: €4.702Million

Costs:

Summary of Overall Costs to date:

Costs incurred to End 2015:

TU4 Dublin €3,113,000

MTU €1,053,026

TUSE €495,655

CUA €400,000

Total €5,061,681

Future projections for the overall costs of all of the projects will only be fully determined as part of the Stage 2 and Stage 4 Application processes.

Position of Technological Universities Bill:

The first Government Legislative Programme of this new Partnership Government was published on 8 June 2016, and the Technological Universities Bill has been restored to the Dáil Order Paper at Committee Stage.

I recognise that there were a significant number of matters raised in respect of the Bill at both Committee and Report Stage. It is my intention to now consult with all of the relevant stakeholders in relation to both the matters raised during the legislative process and the commitments contained in the Programme for Government.

Following the finalisation of this consultation process I will then advance the legislation having determined a position in relation to any matters raised as part of this consultation process.

As part of this consultation process, the General Secretary of the Teachers' Union of Ireland wrote to me in June 2016 seeking a meeting to discuss relevant issues in regard to the Technological Universities Bill. I have now arranged to meet with a delegation from the Teachers' Union of Ireland shortly.