Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 28 September 2023
296. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science when the executive board structure for each of the technological universities will be rolled out; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41922/23]
View answerAn appropriate senior management team structure is a critical enabler to support Technological Universities deliver on their legislatively prescribed mandate. The Higher Education Authority and my Department commissioned the OECD to conduct a review of academic career paths, contracts, and organisation design in TUs. I brought this report to Cabinet in December 2022, and it was subsequently published. The report makes recommendations as to the broad parameters within which TU senior management team structures should fit, while also recognising the need to facilitate institutional-level variations to reflect specific regional requirements of individual institutions. Following their establishment, I understand that each TU has undertaken, or is in the advanced stages of undertaking, an organisational design exercise to determine its optimum senior management team structure. Section 14(1) of the Technological Universities Act 2018 provides for TUs to appoint staff with the consent of the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science, and the Minister for Public Expenditure, NDP Delivery, and Reform. Sanction was granted in July 2021 for senior executive posts within TU Dublin. A business case in relation to the MTU senior management team, endorsed by my Department, has been under consideration by the Department of Public Expenditure, NDP Delivery, and Reform since December 2022. My officials have been engaging closely with colleagues in that Department to agree a shared position, having regard to the needs of the institution and sector and within the context of overall public sector resourcing policy.
