Rose Conway-Walsh (Mayo, Sinn Fein)
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165. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if there are plans to form a new consortium in relation to forming an additional technological university with DKIT and or another higher education institution; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18688/22]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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Following the establishment of South East Technological University on 01 May 2022, there will be just two stand alone Institutes of Technology remaining on the higher education landscape. Both these Institutes are pursuing separate trajectories to achieve technological university (TU) status and both are receiving Transformation Fund assistance. In addition, Dundalk Institute of Technology is receiving support from a special advisor from the Higher Education Authority (HEA), Dr. Ruaidhri Neavyn, in relation to its proposals to achieve TU status.

Given the need to demonstrate the ability to achieve the TU eligibility criteria metrics in order to achieve their ambitions, and given the network of TUs now established and in view, it is more likely the Institutes' ambition to become part of a multi-campus TU will de facto require to be considered under the legislative approach prescribed in section 38 of the Technological Universities Act 2018 which provides for the merger of an Institute of Technology with an existing TU.

However, it is a matter for the governing body of each Institute to decide where that Institute positions itself on the higher education landscape. My Department is not aware of any proposals by the relevant Institutes to form a new TU development consortium at this time.

The Department and the HEA will continue to support as appropriate both Institutes in seeking to achieve TU status as desired.