DKIT technical university status
Deputies Breathnach and Fitzpatrick raised funding and status concerns for DKIT and LYIT, especially around technological university recognition. The Tánaiste said the institutions would get a fair hearing but must meet the published criteria.
The role played by third level institutions in the regions is invaluable in respect not only of attracting employment but also of providing the skills necessary in the regions, as was instanced last week when WuXi Biologics in Dundalk announced it would add 200 jobs to its workforce, bringing the total to 600. My question relates to the role of Dundalk Institute of Technology, DKIT, and Letterkenny Institute of Technology, LYIT, in the context of North-South relationships. What efforts are being made to secure additional funding for the two institutions in respect of their cross-Border developments? What programmes are being explored for the post-Brexit environment, in addition to the current programmes available?
Comment on this
I attended a meeting with Deputy Breathnach at DKIT this morning. It is a fantastic college. There is currently a problem relating to its status as a technical university. Some 5,300 students attend DKIT, while there are more than 500 members of staff. If DKIT does not get its act together by April 2020, it will risk losing out on its part of the €90 million in funding set aside for technical universities. What is the Government doing to help sort out the position of DKIT? It is the first time 80% of the students at DKIT have attended third level education, and the last thing we want to see is the college losing out. Will the Minister of State, Deputy Mitchell O'Connor, get involved and ensure that DKIT gets a fair crack of the whip?
Comment on this
Yes, I will. Of course, DKIT will get a fair crack of the whip. I have visited the college and it does a super job. Like all other third level institutions, it makes the case for increased funding. We have an ambition to create technological universities. There is already one and we would like to create many more. Advantages will flow from creating technological universities, but the benchmarks that have to be met to qualify technically for the status are clear. It is not a question of political decision-making, but of independent scrutiny and meeting the criteria.