Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 15 December 2020
44. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science his views on the way in which the new Munster technological university will benefit the region; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43310/20]
View answerWe have had some really positive news recently regarding the merger of Cork Institute of Technology, CIT, and IT Tralee to the proposed Munster technological university, MTU. Could the Minister outline to the House his views as to how this merger can benefit the region? It is one of the most exciting developments in the region in many years. I would be very grateful to hear his views.
I thank Deputy Griffin not just for the question but also for his support and work on the delivery of this technological university, not just in recent months but over a sustained period with my predecessor, Deputy McHugh, and others. This is a potential game changer for the south west of our country. The opening of Ireland's newest technological university on 1 January, just days away now, will mean that, for the first time ever, Tralee will be a university town. It will mean that people will be able to access university education in County Kerry. That will be a game changer. There are mums and dads who can now talk to their children about being able to stay in the county. We know that the longer people stay in their county, the more likely they are to continue to strengthen their links there, to put down new links and to start their own families. This is important for the regeneration or rejuvenation of any of our counties.
This is also a game changer for the skills agenda and being able to work with local businesses, local industry, to identify the skills we need to keep Kerry, the south west and the region competitive. Where are the jobs of the future, and how can we work with industry to make sure we provide those courses in the region? I had an excellent meeting with the regional skills forums, chaired by the CEO of Fexco, a company I visited with the Deputy a number of years ago. It is a really big Irish-owned multinational company that is committed to working with us to make sure we continue to support jobs and investment in the region. The Munster technological university will be such a significant development. It will be only the second technological university in the State and the first outside of Dublin. We know that by IT Tralee working with Cork Institute of Technology, the sum of the parts will be much more beneficial than any individual part.
MTU will benefit the region by offering a deep and broad range of teaching at all levels of the National Framework of Qualifications, from an apprenticeship to a doctoral degree. That will be available in Kerry from January. MTU will also support an increased intensity of research activity. I really look forward to visiting Munster technological university with the Deputy in January.
There is a very proud tradition of higher education in the county, from the Tralee RTC days to IT Tralee. The MTU is a very exciting next step and is, as the Minister has quite rightly pointed out, a massive opportunity for the region but particularly County Kerry, which I represent. We will now have university education available to people in the county. What is critically important now is that we ensure there is that synergy with local enterprise to ensure that the appropriate courses and skills are developed in MTU. It is also really important we safeguard the range of courses available on both campuses. We know how important the range of courses in IT Tralee are from a Kerry perspective and we would not like to see any reduction in that. I welcome the fact the Minister will come to visit in January. That is really important and shows his interest in the subject.
I very much look forward to visiting with the Deputy Munster technological university and its Kerry campus. I am particularly pleased that in the past week we have been able to announce the appointment of the new president for the technological university, only the second female president of a university in Ireland in about 450 years, a brilliant and eminent person by the name of Professor Maggie Cusack, coming to us from Scotland. I know she is really eager and enthusiastic about getting stuck in. I also pay tribute, as Deputy Griffin said, to the proud legacy of IT Tralee and what went before it. While we are moving to a new, exciting chapter, we would not have got to this stage of the journey were it not for the dedication of all the staff in IT Tralee who have worked so hard to get to this point. They are very proud of their heritage, their tradition and their track record, as am I. By coming together we are beginning a new and really exciting chapter in which we can approach the future with certainty and confidence. We need to do that, particularly in the aftermath of Covid and as we try to rebuild people's lives.
The Minister referred to opportunities for young people. As a father of two young children who, I hope, in the next 11 or 12 years will be looking at higher education options, having the university option in the county is enormous, and it will be a game changer for so many people. The Minister also referred to Fexco, just one indigenous company in the county that has proven to be a global success.
I recently referred to it as being where Laune Valley meets Silicon Valley. Fexco has done so much for the county of Kerry and can do so much more. That synergy between Munster Technological University and companies such as Fexco, as well as many other companies that have proven themselves to be highly successful in these counties, is really important. I know there is now a really strong focus on driving that on into the future. I hope the Minister can be at the forefront in driving that on. I wish to congratulate the new president of the university, who I am sure will do an amazing job. I again thank everyone in the Department for the work they have done.
It is really important that the region owns this project. I have no doubt on that, having heard from the Deputy and others in County Kerry. It is a massive opportunity and investment. When I go to Kerry with the Deputy, I wish to speak to chambers of commerce and schools about the difference this will make to the people of the county and their lives. It is something we can support in Dublin financially, and we will do so every step of the way, but it needs to be owned and driven by the region, as I know it will.
While we are speaking about higher education, I am very conscious of the role and the job my Department has to do in terms of further education, which could be training, apprenticeships or helping to get people back to work. When I met the south-west regional skills forum, which covers County Kerry, we discussed how we can help to get the hospitality and tourism sector back on its feet, to get people who have lost their jobs or been out of work due to this awful virus back to work, and to provide training and access to courses. I look forward to having a chance to explore those issues with the Deputy in January.
Deputy Murnane O'Connor has a brief supplementary question.
I welcome the investment for the technological university for the south east. It will bring many opportunities for the region. Has the Minister had any contact with Carlow College, St. Patrick's, with regard to bringing about the full integration of the college into the higher education system in the south-east region? I am eager to hear the response of the Minister. Does he have a timeline for delivery?
I thank the Deputy for her consistent, persistent and determined advocacy in respect of Carlow College. I wish for the people of Carlow to know that we speak about the issue on a regular basis. I am looking forward to speaking to Fr. Conn Ó Maoldhomhnaigh, the president of Carlow College. As the Deputy is aware, my officials wrote to Carlow College to suggest that it carry out a piece of work relating to its future, financial sustainability and the likes. I have been honest about this from the start in stating that my absolute sequencing here is to establish the technological university for the south east, of which I know the Deputy is a big supporter. Once it is established, there will be opportunities for others to join it in various ways at that stage. That option will be open to Carlow College. As the Deputy is aware, I have also discussed the matter with the president of Institute of Technology Carlow. I will continue to work very closely with the Deputy on this issue.
