27 Samh 2012, 14:24
The Joint Committee on Education and Social Protection will tomorrow meet with representatives from the Higher Education Authority and Department of Education and Skills to discuss reform of third level education.
The meeting will consider how the Irish university system can be strengthened and the steps required to bolster the Institutes of Technology. The Hunt Report, published in 2011, recognised the imperative for a co-ordinated, multi-faceted and coherent system and the HEA and Department representatives will update the Committee on progress in implementing the priorities.
Committee Chair Joanna Tuffy TD says: “Tomorrow provides our Committee with an opportunity to consider the future of Ireland’s third level institutions. They have played a key role in our economic development in the past and will provide our country with the tools to meet the economic, social and cultural challenges in the years to come.
“As the adjustments to the nation’s financial imbalances continue, our third level institutions are increasingly squeezed financially and how we fund our universities and ITs will be central to our discussions tomorrow. Our Committee is concerned at the overall slide in academic placing of Irish universities in the international rankings. However, we also note that despite recent slide down the table of some of our universities in recent years, all seven universities remain within the top 400 of the 15,000 such institutions.
“The 13 Institutes of Technology have made a vital contribution to education in Ireland and our Committee will also consider how their role can be bolstered into the future.”
The meeting will take place tomorrow Wednesday 28 November in Committee Room 3, LH 2000 at 1 pm.
Ends
For further information please contact:
Paul Hand,
Houses of the Oireachtas,
Communications Unit,
Leinster House,
Dublin 2
P: +3531 618 4484
M: +353 87 694 9926
F: +3531 618 4551
paul.hand@oireachtas.ie
Committee Membership
Deputies:
James Bannon, Fine Gael
Ray Butler, Fine Gael
Joan Collins, People Before Profit
Clare Daly, Independent
Brendan Griffin, Fine Gael
Simon Harris, Fine Gael
Charlie McConalogue, Fianna Fáil
Nicky McFadden, Fine Gael
Jonathan O'Brien, Sinn Féin
Mary Mitchell O’Connor, Fine Gael
Aodhán Ó Ríordáin, Labour Party (Vice Chair)
Aengus Ó Snodaigh, Sinn Féin
Willie O’Dea, Fianna Fáil
Brendan Ryan, Labour Party
Joanna Tuffy, Labour Party (Chair)
Senators:
Jim D’Arcy
Fidelma Healy Eames
Marie Moloney
Marie Louise O’Donnell
Averil Power
Diarmuid Wilson