Marian Harkin (Sligo-Leitrim, Independent)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

52. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the status of all current technological university applications. [22656/20]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

The establishment of technological universities (TUs) is an important part of the Government’s higher education policy as underscored in the Programme for Government 2020.

Under the statutory framework detailed in the Technological Universities Act 2018, it is a matter, in the first instance, for the relevant Institutes of Technology participating in a TU development consortium to progress their plans and, when ready, to make an application to seeking an order establishing a TU subject to their meeting the eligibility criteria prescribed in the 2018 Act. In this context my Department understands the following to be the position in relation to the three current consortia pursuing TU designation:-

The consortium comprising Athlone IT and Limerick IThas a submission date in view for their application of October 2020.

The Connacht Ulster Alliance (CUA)consortium comprising Letterkenny IT, IT Sligo and Galway Mayo IT, is planning, subject to meeting the eligibility criteria, to submit an application by the end of this year.

The Technological University for the South East of Ireland (TUSEI)comprising IT Carlow and Waterford IT has recently appointed a highly experienced independent programme executive director, Tom Boland, to drive the project and finalise an application for TU designation by early Quarter 2 next year.