Vol. 531 No. 4
206 Mr. Perry asked the Minister for Education and Science the progress he has made on the upgrading of Sligo Institute of Technology to university status; the discussions he has had in this regard; the delays involved; if steps have been taken to ensure that clearance is given for university status; when the status of the institute will be changed; the time scale involved; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6079/01]
There are no proposals at present to change the status of the Institute of Technology in Sligo to that of a university, nor has my Department received any such proposals from the institute itself. Accordingly, no discussions have taken place.
Any application for university status falls to be made under section 9 of the Universities Act, 1997. Section 9 of the Universities Act, 1997, provides that the Government may, at any time, appoint a body, the membership of which shall be recommended by the Higher Education Authority and shall include international experts and national experts, including employees of universities to which the Act applies, to advise the authority on whether, having regard to the objects and functions of a university under sections 12 and 13, an educational institution should be established as a university.
