Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 20 January 2011
60 Deputy John O’Donoghue asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Education and Skills the implications the Hunt report will have on the Tralee Institute of Technology, County Kerry; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [3107/11]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe new National Strategy for Higher Education which I published last week has been endorsed by the Government as the basis for the development of the higher education sector over the next two decades. The Strategy address all aspects of the higher education system, including how it is governed, resourced and can be empowered to evolve and respond to the needs of all students and the wider community in an environment where the quality of teaching and learning is paramount.
The new Strategy also affirms the importance of having institutions with a diversity of missions and provides a clear pathway of evolution for Institutes of Technology, which includes the potential to amalgamate on a regional basis and to seek re-designation as Technological Universities, on the basis of defined performance criteria. Such criteria will be robust and will be based on the strong foundation of the existing Institute of Technology mission. International expertise has been engaged to assist in finalising these criteria and I expect to be in a position to publish them later this Spring.
My officials and the HEA will also be available to engage in direct discussions with individual institutions on their future strategic intentions in terms of regional cluster formations, and where appropriate alliances or mergers. The implementation of all the recommendations in the Strategy, including the preparation of formal legislative proposals, will be overseen by an Implementation Board to be chaired by the Secretary General of my Department.
