Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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The establishment of technological universities (TUs) is an important part of the Government’s higher education and regional development policy as underscored in the Programme for Government 2020.

TUs will provide increased choices for students, an enhanced student experience and greater access for students in tackling educational disadvantage with TUs offering a broad range of higher education provision from apprenticeship to doctoral degrees. TUs will also support an increased intensity of research-informed teaching and learning and research activity which will provide increased opportunities for collaboration with industry, attraction of Foreign Direct Investment, retention and expansion of skills and deliver regional development and socio-economic benefits.

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 the Minister seeking an order establishing a TU subject to their meeting the eligibility criteria prescribed in the 2018 Act.

The Connacht Ulster Alliance (CUA) TU development consortium, comprising the Galway-Mayo, Sligo and Letterkenny Institutes of Technology has made significant progress to date in advancing their proposals. . On 7 October I announced the first tranche of funding under a new Transformation Fund overseen and administered by the Higher Education Authority to assist in the creation and development of technological universities. The CUA received €5.7 million under this call, bringing total Exchequer funding of the project since 2013 to €11.6 million.

My Department understands that subject to the conclusion of discussions with academic staff representatives the consortium anticipates submitting an application seeking TU designation under the legislative process provided in the Technological Universities Act 2018 by the end of January 2021.