Technological Universities are autonomous bodies established under the Technological Universities Act 2018. Technological Universities regulate their own academic affairs and administrative processes. The Technological Universities Act provides that the President shall be appointed by the Technological University and that the selection criteria, including experience, training and expertise appropriate to the functions of a president under the Act, and procedures in respect of the appointment of a president shall be established by the technological university. The Act also states that the president of a technological university shall carry on and manage, and control generally the academic, administrative, and financial activities of the technological university, and matters relating to its staff and perform such other functions (if any) as may be determined, by the technological university, and for those purposes shall have such powers as are necessary or expedient. The president is required to perform his or her functions subject to such policies as may be determined from time to time by the technological university and shall be accountable to the technological university for the efficient and effective management of the technological university and for the due performance of his or her functions. The Act also provides that a governing body of a technological university shall establish and implement arrangements for the management of the performance of the president. It is a matter for TU Dublin to manage the performance of the president and to determine the arrangements for the appointment of the president. In the context of the legislative autonomy of Technological Universities, it would not be appropriate for me as Minister to interfere in the appointment process for the President of TU Dublin.
