Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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Under the Further Education and Training Act (2013), SOLAS has statutory responsibility for planning, funding, and co-ordinating Further Education and Training (FET) in Ireland.

My officials have referred your query to SOLAS for direct reply on this individual matter, who have advised an email has been issue directly to the apprentice this morning providing a scheduling status update.

Michael McNamara (Clare, Independent)
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1364. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the reason that Atlantic Technological University (ATU) has been offered technological university-transformation funding for only one year from August 2023, in contrast to the four years' funding provided to Technological University Dublin (TU Dublin); if his Department will work with the HEA to ensure the proposed one-year post-merger funding for ATU will be increased to four-year post-merger funding, in line with TU Dublin; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27785/23]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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The Technological Universities Transformation Fund (TUTF) is a three-year fund (1 September 2020 – 31 August 2023) that has invested €90 million in the technological sector to assist with the development and progression of technological universities. Technological university consortia, technological universities, and institutes of technology were eligible to apply for funding under the TUTF. The €90 million fund was expended in December 2022 with funded projects due to conclude on 31 August 2023.

In August 2020, in response to the initial TUTF funding call, the Connacht-Ulster Alliance (CUA), incorporating Galway Mayo Institute of Technology, Letterkenny Institute of Technology and Institute of Technology Sligo applied to the HEA for funding to support the formation of a TU. An allocation of €5.7 million was granted to pursue this initiative. CUA made an application for further support in Year 2 of TUTF (2021-2022) to meet the criteria for TU designation and again in Year 3 of TUTF (2022-2023), as the newly established Atlantic Technological University (ATU), to support the development and progress of the new institution. In total, Exchequer funding of just over €17 million has been provided to this TU project both in its pre- and post-establishment phases, being the second largest overall allocation provided across all established TUs to date.

It is important to note that our higher education and research system is successful by nature of its diversity, within and across regions. Each former IoT, and now TUs, are distinctive by nature of their strategy, their location, their scale, their mission, and their stage of development. TUTF funding is allocated by the HEA in a managed fashion in response to requests from TUs taking account of all of these factors and based on stated and evidenced institutional needs.

My Department understands that the Higher Education Authority (HEA) which administers the TUTF is currently engaging with institutions on progress ahead of the August 31 end date for the fund, which includes a process to facilitate a 12-months administrative extension for institutions that require additional time to compete elements of their TUTF projects.

In parallel, Department officials are currently liaising with their HEA counterparts regarding the requirement for further support for the technological sector in the context of the finalisation of projects being funded by TUTF, the recent OECD report on academic career paths, contracts and organisation in Irish TUs and the ongoing operational and developmental needs of the sector in line with the Technological Universities Act 2018 Act and national strategy for higher education and research.

Any future TU funding will also complement the significant additional funding of some €124 million secured by Government for the progression of various elements of the TU agenda under the National Recovery and Resilience Plan to 2024 and under the European Regional Development Fund to 2027.

I am committed to ensuring requisite TU oriented funding is provided as appropriate during the crucial post-establishment phase whether through Exchequer or co-funded EU sources.

John Lahart (Dublin South West, Fianna Fail)
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1365. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the Oireachtas direct line contact details for Solas (details supplied). [27792/23]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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Following enquiries with SOLAS, I understand that the email address oireachtasinfo@solas.ie and the contact number referred to by the Deputy are no longer in use. The new email address and contact number for queries are communications@solas.ie and (01) 533 2500.