Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 30 March 2004
175 Mr. Penrose asked the Minister for Education and Science if he will expand on comments he made at UCD in February 2004 that universities must be made more accountable to the taxpayer; if this view will be reflected in his Department’s submission to the OECD review of the third level sector here; the structures he envisages for doing so; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9789/04]
View answerInstitutions in the higher education sector are operating in an increasingly competitive and dynamic environment. To respond to the many challenges associated with this, institutions require modern corporate governance structures that both support dynamic decision-making and acknowledge the requirements for accountability to a diverse range of internal and external stakeholders, including the taxpayer.
I have touched on some of these issues in recent addresses and this is also reflected in my Department's submission to the OECD review of higher education in Ireland, which is currently under way. My objective in inviting the OECD to conduct this review was to lay down a strategy for future excellence for higher education in Ireland at a time of key transition for the sector as a whole. The sector is facing many challenges, including international competitiveness in the knowledge society and the demands of an increasingly diverse student population. Institutions must develop appropriate governance models and management structures that will enable them to show the kind of dynamic leadership necessary to meet these varied demands and challenges, while demonstrating an openness and responsiveness to the needs of the broader community.
The OECD review will assist us in addressing these challenges and I await their findings with interest.
