Vol. 472 No. 8
87 Mr. Ellis asked the Minister for Education the action, if any, she proposes to take in relation to the Dublin Institute of Technology; and if she will be bringing forward legislation to allow the institute to make its own awards from 1998 as recommended by the international review group set up by her Department. [24197/96]
I asked the Higher Education Authority in 1995 to establish an international review team to advise on whether the Dublin Institute of Technology should be given the power to award its own degrees. The establishment of the review team was a further strong indication of my commitment to the development of the Dublin Institute of Technology. The review team reported this summer and recommended that degree-awarding powers should be granted to the Dublin Institute of Technology with effect from the 1998-99 academic year.
I am meeting representatives of the Dublin Institute of Technology today to discuss a number of considerations arising from the report of the review team. My objective is to support the continuing development of the Dublin Institute of Technology as it responds to the needs of students and to social and economic requirements. The granting of degree-awarding powers to the Dublin Institute of Technology does not require primary legislation but may be effected by order under section 5 of the Dublin Institute of Technology Act, 1992.
