Ruairi Ó Murchú (Louth, Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

94. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if he will provide an update on the work being done to help progress technological university status for Dundalk Institute of Technology; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6876/23]

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

It is a matter for the governing body of any higher education institution as to where it seeks to strategically position that institution on the higher education landscape.

Dundalk Institute of Technology is understood to be currently pursuing a trajectory to achieve technological university (TU) status in accordance with the requirements of the Technological Universities Act 2018.

The Institute is in receipt of Exchequer funding under the Transformation Fund and has received asssistance from a special advisor in the Higher Education Authority in support of its ongoing efforts to achieve TU status.

Both I and my Department remain supportive of, and stand ready to further assist, the Institute in the achievement of appropriate strategic goals within the bounds of the relevant legislative and policy remits.

However, as an autonomous higher education institution the progression of its strategic objectives and their attainment must be driven by the Institute itself in the first instance in terms, inter alia, of meeting the requirements of the 2018 Act, securing an appropriate partner institute or established TU with which to merge and addressing any relevant financial issues at play.

Dr. Diarmuid O’Callaghan was recently appointed as the new President of the Institute, and his views on the strategic direction of the Institute will be instructive in due course. Dr. O’ Callaghan comes from a senior position in TU Dublin and was involved in the process which saw the successful establishment of that higher education institute as the State’s first technological university so he brings considerable experience in this regard.