Written answers

Tuesday, 8 February 2022

Department of Education and Skills

Technological Universities

Photo of Fergus O'DowdFergus O'Dowd (Louth, Fine Gael)
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91. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if he will report on the development of technological universities including the urgent need to progress technological university status in the north-east; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6117/22]

Photo of Simon HarrisSimon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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The development and progression of technological universities (TUs) is an established policy objective of Government and my Department in the context of overarching national strategy on higher education landscape restructuring, and this is underscored in the commitment in the current Programme for Government. To date three TUs have been established, Technological University Dublin (TU Dublin), Munster Technological University (MTU) and Technological University of the Shannon: Midlands Midwest (TÚS) since 2019. Two more TUs are on the cusp of establishment, namely Atlantic Technological University which will be established, subject to the finalisation of the necessary legislative and administrative procedures, on 1 April 2022 and as recently as 3 February I notified the chairs of the governing bodies of Institute of Technology Carlow and Waterford Institute of Technology that I had made by final decision to grant those applicant institutes an order establishing a technological university in the South East following a rigorous assessment process. The new higher education institution will be known as South East Technological University. Subject to the completion of the requisite legislative and administrative requirements arising from this decision, all parties are working towards an establishment date for the new TU of 1 May 2022, meaning those students graduating from the current applicant institutes will do so with university qualifications.

Upon finalisation of these processes, the higher education landscape will contain two remaining Institutes of Technology namely Dundalk Institute of Technology (DkIT) and Institute of Art, Design and Technology Dun Laoghaire. Both Institutions are receiving Exchequer funding from the TU Transformation Fund to progress on a trajectory towards TU designation. DkIT is also availing of the technical advice and support services of respected Higher Education Authority (HEA) special advisor on higher education policy, Dr. Ruaidhri Neavyn, who continues to assist the Institute as an external expert advisor going forward

However, ultimately it remains a matter for the governing bodies of autonomous Institutes of Technology to decide where they wish to locate themselves within the higher education landscape.

Under the statutory framework provided in the Technological Universities Act 2018, two or more Institutes of Technology may jointly seek TU designation through a prescribed legislative process. Section 29 of the 2018 Act provides for the application jointly by such institutions seeking designation as a TU subject to their jointly meeting specified eligibility criteria. In addition, section 38 of the 2018 Act provides that an applicant institute and an established technological university may apply to the Minister for an order. The Department understands that the governing body of DkIT is seeking to pursue the latter legislative path at this juncture and in this context the Institute has taken a number of important steps having published its vision last year to become a dynamic, accessible, student-centred campus of a multi-campus regional TU. This marks meaningful progress on the trajectory to achieving TU status, enabling staff, students and wider stakeholders to be assured of the direction of travel. It is also understood that the Institute has established key TU project groups, including a TUTF Project Steering Group and a TU operational project group.

The Department and the HEA continue to appropriately support DkIT and IADT Dun Laoghaire in progressing towards achieving TU designation in due course.

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