Ninth Level Ireland

“Investment at campus under Project Ireland 2040 for lecture space, library, offices and upgrade works. The Minister for Education and Skills Joe McHugh TD has today (Sunday August 11) announced funding of €1.8m towards significant building upgrades at the School of Tourism at Letterkenny IT (LYIT) Killybegs Campus …” (more)

[Department of Education and Skills, 11 August]

“It seems talks to try and resolve problems around the Technological University for the South East are on hold. At the end of June TUI members in IT Carlow voted against an agreement that had been reached at the Workplace Relations Commission. It’s expected talks will resume in September after progress came to a standstill over a month ago …” (more)

[KCLR 96FM, 5 August]

“Then Minister for Education Joe McHugh this week postponed the creation of Ireland’s second technological university until early 2020, alarm bells may have sounded for some in the higher education sector. For others, though, the news that Cork IT and IT Tralee are not yet ready to merge – despite provisional plans to do so this year – will have come as no surprise …” (more)

[University Times, 28 July]

“Government plans to award university status to institutes of technology may prove ‘problematic’ due to a lack of clarity over what constitutes research activity, according to an international panel of academics. The comment is contained in a report which found the Cork Institute of Technology (CIT) and IT Tralee only partially met the criteria required to secure university status. It is likely the bid will be reconsidered in six months …” (more)

[Carl O’Brien, Irish Times, 23 July]

“A decision on the long-awaited Munster Technological University, has been set back to early 2020 amid financial concerns and a ‘lack of clear vision and strategy’. A bid by Cork Institute of Technology (CIT) and the Institute of Technology Tralee (ITT) seeking to become Munster’s first technological university ‘leaves questions unanswered regarding the specifics of how the two applicant institutions are to become one’, an independent review has found …” (more)

[Jess Casey, Irish Examiner, 23 July]

“The creation of a Munster Technological University has been postponed until 2020, amid concerns over the debts of IT Tralee and a ‘lack of clear vision’ for what the new university will look like. An international panel that examined the proposed merger of IT Tralee and Cork IT found a lack of ‘integrated, coherent and effective governance structures’, and said it found ‘questions unanswered’ about ‘how the two applicant institutions are to become one’ …” (more)

[Donal MacNamee, University Times, 22 July]

“Ministers McHugh and Mitchell O’Connor welcome Report of the Independent Review Panel on Munster Technological University (MTU) Application. Ministers note significant progress made by consortium in meeting eligibility criteria. Establishment of MTU key Government priority to deliver on regional development objectives for South-West region under Project Ireland 2040 …” (more)

[Department of Education and Skills, 22 July]

“The Taoiseach says he’s confident the Technological University for the South East can be achieved within the next year. The application from WIT and IT Carlow still has not been submitted. It hit another delay last month when a memorandum of understanding agreed between management at both IT’s and the Teachers Union of Ireland was rejected by union members in Carlow …” (more)

[Sinead Aherne, WLR FM, 18 July]

“Eoin Ó Broin (Dublin Mid West, Sinn Fein): To ask the Minister for Education and Skills his plans to allow technical universities to access borrowing for the provision of purpose built student specific accommodation …” (more)

[Dáil written answers, 9 July]

“A second technological university project has been hit by a wrangle over who picks up the tab for outstanding deficits, debt and certain other costs when colleges merge to form a new entity. The proposed Technological University of the South East (TUSE) involves a merger of the Institute of Technology Carlow (IT Carlow) and Waterford Institute of Technology (Waterford IT) …” (more)

[Katherine Donnelly, Independent, 9 July]

Abstract: This article aims to examine and analyse the perceptions of senior policy-makers, lobby groups representatives and both higher education academics and professional managers on the establishing of technological universities in Ireland, and its implications for the fabric of the Irish higher education system, in terms of the structure of the Irish higher education system, academic drift and the diversity of Irish higher education institutions.

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Ludovic Highman, Irish technological universities and the binary divide: a qualitative study. Higher Education. First Online: 4 July 2019.

“A long-awaited decision on the Munster Technological University (MTU) is expected to be made shortly as an independent report sparks uncertainty over the project. Following a formal application earlier this year, an international panel of experts assessed a bid by Cork Institute of Technology (CIT) and the Institute of Technology Tralee (ITT) to become Munster’s first technological university …” (more)

[Jess Casey, Irish Examiner, 24 June]

“Minister for Education and Skills has confirmed that Dundalk IT has given no indication to him that they plan to pursue technological university status. The Donegal-based TD was replying to a parliamentary question from Labour TD Jan O’Sullivan in the Dáil on Tuesday …” (more)

[Talk of the Town, 27 June]

“Jan O’Sullivan (Limerick City, Labour): To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if confirmation has been received from Dundalk Institute of Technology of plans to pursue technological university status; if the process has been formally commenced; his views on whether an application for technological university status would be of benefit the institute and the north east region; if his attention has been drawn to the high levels of staff support at the institute for technological university status; and if he will make a statement on the matter …” (more)

[Dáil written answers, 25 June]

“The proposed merger of Cork IT and IT Tralee into a new technological university has suffered a huge blow, after an international assessment panel sounded the alarm over its financial sustainability …” (more)

[Rachel O’Leary, University Times, 24 June]

“A long-awaited decision on the Munster Technological University (MTU) is expected to be made shortly as an independent report sparks uncertainty over the project. Following a formal application earlier this year, an international panel of experts assessed a bid by Cork Institute of Technology (CIT) and the Institute of Technology Tralee (ITT) to become Munster’s first technological university …” (more)

[Jess Casey, Irish Examiner, 24 June]

“Plans to create a new technological university for the Munster area have suffered a major setback after an international panel raised concerns over the financial viability of the application. The planned merger of Cork Institute of Technology (CIT) and IT Tralee into a new Munster technological university would have created one of the country’s largest third-level institutions with more than 18,000 learners …” (more)

[Carl O’Brien, Irish Times, 24 June]

“Plans to create a technological university for the southeast have hit a new setback. While Waterford Institute of Technology and IT Carlow are preparing a joint bid to merge and become a technological university, staff at Carlow voted down the latest step in this process …” (more)

[Eoghan Dalton and Carl O’Brien, Irish Times, 21 June]

“A blip on the journey to creating a technological university for the South. That’s how the President of WIT has described the rejection by TUI members in IT Carlow of proposals to progress the process. The WIT branch endorsed the proposed Memorandum of Understanding by 92.7% but the IT Carlow Branch rejected it by 60% …” (more)

[Liz Reddy, WLR FM, 21 June]

“Sinn Féin TD for Waterford David Cullinane has commended staff at WIT for their overwhelming support to move the Technological University of the South East a step closer. He said the extensive engagement between staff and management at the institute was constructive and has delivered a very strong outcome …” (more)

[Sinn Féin, 21 June]