Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 27 January 2005
195 Mr. O’Shea asked the Minister for Education and Science the qualitative research which has been carried out by or on behalf of her Department since 2002 and the qualitative research which will be carried out by or on behalf of her Department in regard to the third level education needs of the south east region, in particular in regard to the urgent need for a university; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [2147/05]
View answer197 Mr. O’Shea asked the Minister for Education and Science her views on whether a university is needed in the south east region; her proposals in this regard; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [2149/05]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 195 and 197 together.
In June 1996, the Government approved in principle the recommendations of the Steering Committee on the Future Development of Higher Education as a benchmark for future planning in the sector. The steering committee concluded that an upgrading and expansion of Waterford Regional College, now Waterford Institute of Technology, represented the most appropriate response to the higher education needs of the south east region. The committee's report also recommended an increase in student places, an increase in degree level awards and a change of title. It was recommended that the major focus of expansion be at degree level. It stated that such provision would place the college at the top end of the spectrum in terms of provision of degree places and would enable the region to reach the national average participation rate in degree programmes. The Government accepted these recommendations. The provision, in both the total number of places and in degree level courses in Waterford Institute of Technology, has been expanded annually and incrementally in line with available resources. These measures, combined with the change of title of the college, provide the necessary status and capacity for the institute to meet the identified higher education needs of the region over the coming years. Consistent with this approach, WIT was among the first institutes of technology to be given authority to make its own educational awards under the terms of the Qualifications (Education and Training) Act 1999.
As the Deputy will be aware, in 2004, an expert group from the OECD carried out a major review of our higher education system. In the course of its review, the expert group visited Ireland and consulted extensively with all the major education stakeholders. In its report, published in September 2004, it recommended that the differentiation of mission between the university and the institute of technology sectors be preserved and that for the foreseeable future there should be no further institutional transfers into the university sector. In this context no further research into the matter is envisaged.
