Michael Ring
Question:128 Mr. Ring asked the Minister for Education and Science if he will grant university status to the Dublin Institute of Technology. [19408/99]
Written Answers. - Institutes of Technology.
The Government, in June 1997, decided to appoint a body under section 9 of the Universities Act, 1997, to advise the Higher Education Authority on whether, having regard to the objects and functions of a university under sections 12 and 13, the Dublin Institute of Technology should be established as a university.
The report of the review group, chaired by Dr. Dermot Nally, was published in November 1998. The review group recommended that, while there should not be immediate university status for the Dublin Institute of Technology, it might become a university within a three to five year period subject to it meeting a number of criteria set out in its report. Following detailed consideration and analysis of the advice prepared by the review group the Higher Education Authority published its recommendations in March 1999.
The Higher Education Authority recommended against the immediate establishment of Dublin Institute of Technology as a university and indicated that a further statutory review of the institute in line with section 9 of the Universities Act would be necessary for the Dublin Institute of Technology to be established as a university.