Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 30 September 2014
490. Deputy John Paul Phelan asked the Minister for Education and Skills the position regarding the development of a new technological university for the south east; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [36669/14]
Amharc ar fhreagra508. Deputy Pat Deering asked the Minister for Education and Skills if she will provide a progress report on the proposed merger of IT Carlow and Waterford IT to form the new technological university of the south east. [36833/14]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take questions 490 and 508 together.
A formal expression of interest was received by the Higher Education Authority (HEA) from Waterford Institute of Technology and Carlow Institute of Technology in applying for designation as a Technological University. The group has now passed the first stage of a four stage process and criteria for designation and can proceed to the second stage where detailed plans for merger and meeting the robust performance criteria have to be developed. In the third stage, evaluation of these plans by an international expert panel will take place followed by a legal merger and eventual designation. The General Scheme of a Technological Universities Bill was published by my predecessor in early 2014. It is envisaged that the Bill will be enacted in 2015 to ensure that there is a legislative framework in place to allow for mergers and for the establishment of Technological Universities where merged institutes pass the quality and performance bar that has been clearly set out.
The timeframe for a complete merger and designation as a Technological University will depend on the capacity of the proposed institutions to meet the criteria for designation. It is a matter for the institutes involved as to when they are ready to submit their detailed plans towards merger to the HEA for consideration.
