Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 20 May 2021
112. Deputy Joe Carey asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science his role in the decision to grant technological university status to Athlone Institute of Technology and Limerick Institute of Technology; his plans for this new technology university, including their campus based in Ennis, County Clare; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26133/21]
View answer306. Deputy Joe Carey asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science his plans for the new technological university based in Athlone Institute of Technology and Limerick Institute of Technology and including their campus based in Ennis, County Clare; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26134/21]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 112 and 306 together.
I received a joint application from Athlone and Limerick ITs seeking the making of an order under section 36 of the Technological Universities Act 2018 establishing a new TU and dissolving both Institutes on 20 November 2020.
Upon receipt of the application I had a prescribed role under section 31(1) of the Act to direct the Higher Education Authority (HEA) and the Qualifications and Quality Assurance Authority of Ireland to nominate at least 3 persons for appointment to the advisory panel which assessed the application by the relevant Institutes of Technology and furnished a report to the HEA. This was done on 3 December 2020 and I subsequently appointed the advisory panel on 21 December 2020. The panel furnished their report to the HEA on 12 February 2021 and the HEA assessed the report, the panel’s recommendations thereon and any other relevant information and provided their views to me on 1 April 2021.
I made my proposed decision on the application on 27 April and having received representations on the proposed decision from the applicant institutes on 29 April and having considered these, I duly made my final decision to grant the application seeking the making of an order under section 29 of the Act on 5 May 2021.
There are a number of legal and administrative procedures to be completed before the establishment of the new TU. These include the drafting of an order under section 36 of the Technological Universities Act 2018 by the Office of the Parliamentary Counsel and my bringing of that draft order before the Houses of the Oireachtas for approval.
In addition, in accordance with section 55 (2) of the Act I shall appoint the first governing body of the new TU and in accordance with section 56 of the Act I may designate a person to be appointed to be the first president of the TU.
The further legal and procedural steps necessitated in this regard are currently being undertaken by Department officials in consultation with the relevant stakeholders with the aim of the new TU being established towards the end of Quarter 3 or early Quarter 4 this year.
The communities in areas where there are campuses of the new TU will, over time, benefit from the university attracting more students, the retention and creation of skills and employment in its regional hinterlands and acting as a catalyst for research, innovation and enterprise with a view to attracting increasing levels of investment including Foreign Direct Investment and to contributing to further regional and socio-economic development.
It will be a matter for the governing body of the new TU to fulfil its functions under the Act, a number of which relate to regional development and community interaction, and to pursue relevant missions that facilitate delivery of these functions across the university’s multi-campuses including in Ennis, County Clare in concert with the university’s staff and students, external regional stakeholders and wider community interests.
Both Project Ireland 2040 and the National Development Plan reiterate the pivotal role of Higher Education in regional development, enabling deep collaboration between industry and other employers and the Tertiary Education and Skills system through, for example, shared objectives for applied research and innovation in strategic sectors of the regional and national economy. Future Jobs Ireland strongly endorses the role of TUs to drive the development of regional clusters with a particular focus on innovation, technology and SMEs.
Government has invested heavily in the TU agenda to date with over €65 million invested through higher education landscape and transformation funding since 2013. The TU Transformation fund will expend €90 million in total to 2023 with €34.3 million having been allocated in its first tranche last October. In total, over €120 million will have been invested in TU development and progression by 2023.
I am strongly committed to appropriate capital investment to underpin the ambitions of our higher education institutions including TUs. Officials from my Department and the Higher Education Authority have regular engagement with HEIs, including Limerick IT and Athlone IT, in relation to their future campus development plans.
