Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 27 January 2015
478. Deputy Fergus O'Dowd asked the Minister for Education and Skills her plans for a third level sub-campus or institution in Drogheda, County Louth particularly a concept of a Drogheda/Dundalk Institute of Technology; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [3776/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraI am currently leading a higher education reform programme. As part of the reform and modernisation of the system, Government policy is to consolidate the institute of technology sector to create institutes of scale and significance operating in regional clusters with other higher education institutions. This is in line with the system configuration approved by my predecessor and published in 2013. This is the policy direction which my Department is implementing with the Higher Education Authority and it does not envisage any further publicly funded institutions in the system. In setting out their future strategic direction, Dundalk Institute of Technology intends to remain as a high quality stand-alone institute of technology serving their wider region with close collaborative links with other providers. This will ensure that the diverse needs of students and other stakeholders in the region will be well served.
