The Technological Universities Bill – which will unite the institutes of technology into four technological universities – was passed by the Dáil last night and will now progress to the Seanad for approval.
First proposed in 2015, the bill has experienced several delays up to this point. Mary Mitchell O’Connor, the Minister for Higher Education, saw the bill through Leinster House last night. With the aim of uniting various institutes of technology into four national technological universities, Mitchell O’Connor told The University Times in December that she thinks it will “change the landscape of education”.
Following the bill’s successful passage through the Dáil, Mitchell O’Connor said in a press statement that “the legislation when enacted will underpin the development of a new type of higher education institution, building on the strengths and mission of institutes of technology to develop world class technological universities”.
Dublin Institute of Technology (DIT), Institute of Technology Blanchardstown (ITB) and Tallaght Institute of Technology (ITT) are due to be brought together under the moniker of TU4Dublin. Their amalgamation will lead to fewer duplicate courses, more financial resources and a technological university qualification for all of its students.
Elsewhere across the country, Waterford Institute of Technology (WIT) and the Institute of Technology Carlow (ITC) will unite to form the Technological University for the South East. The Connacht Ulster Alliance will be created when the Institute of Technology Sligo (IT Sligo), Letterkenny Institute of Technology (LYIT) and the Galway Mayo Institute of Technology (GMIT) are merged under the bill.
Speaking to The University Times in December, Vice-President for Strategy at WIT, Richard Hayes, explained that the bill would create “a pathway for already high-performing Institutes of Technology to perform at a higher level again”. He listed the financial incentives, the increased autonomy and the ability to attract more international students as some of the benefits of becoming part of a technological university. It “holds the promise of a change in the funding of our organisations”, he said of the bill.
The enactment of the bill will see the culmination of a long wait for these institutions. For many, it will mean integrating the teaching of practical skills into better-resourced technological universities, and rewarding students with a more prestigious and internationally recognisable final degree.
Recognising this, Mitchell O’Connor said that “the creation of technological universities provides the opportunity to drive regional development and provide more opportunities for individuals, enterprise and the community”. She called the bill’s passage “a significant milestone” in progressing the legislation and looks forward to “discussing the Bill with Senators in the coming weeks”.
