Ninth Level Ireland

“Fine Gael has said four further technological universities (TUs) will be established in the State within the lifetime of the next government. At a briefing on its education policies on Wednesday, Minister for Education Joe McHugh and Minister of State for Higher Education Mary Mitchell O’Connor also promised a 25% increase in capitation funding for schools, the abolition of charges in the school transport scheme and a new free school books scheme for all primary schools …” (more)

[Harry McGee, Irish Times, 27 January]

“A decision on IT Tralee’s proposed merger with CIT is due in the second quarter of this year. The Munster Technological University is the planned result of the merger between the two institutes, a process which was first mooted in 2009 …” (more)

[Radio Kerry, 26 January]

“‘Vote for me and you’ll get a university’ sounds like a tongue-in-cheek campaign slogan, but it’s one that many Fine Gael candidates will be able to promise in next month’s election. And it’s all because a revolution is taking place in higher education which will more than double the number of university towns across the country …” (more)

[John Walshe, Independent, 15 January]

“Industrial strife resumes. After a couple of years of industrial peace, the prospect of disruption looms. Two-tier pay rates introduced in 2011 put ‘newly qualified teachers’ on inferior rates of pay. A decade later, the issue still hasn’t been fully resolved …” (more)

[Carl O’Brien, Irish Times, 7 January]

“President of Limerick Institute of Technology, Professor Vincent Cunnane, assumes the chair of THEA for the 50th anniversary year of Technological Higher Education in Ireland. The Technological Higher Education Association is the representative advocacy body for Ireland’s technological higher education institutions …” (more)

[Limerick Post, 2 January]

“Malcolm Byrne (Wexford, Fianna Fail): To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the reason for the delay in the submission of the application from the institutes of technology in counties Carlow and Waterford for designation as a technological university; and the measures he is taking to assist in such a designation …” (more)

[Dáil written answers, 17 December]

“James Browne (Wexford, Fianna Fail): To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the position regarding securing a location for a campus (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter …” (more)

[Dáil written answers, 17 December]

“The Department of Education says funding given to CIT will help deliver on the ambitions of the proposed MTU. The department has announced an investment of €18.7 million in the Cork Institute of Technology, to go towards building upgrades and refurbishment of its campus …” (more)

[Radio Kerry, 18 December]

“GMIT will formally apply in the Autumn next year, along with two other west of Ireland colleges to become a technological university, a T-U. The ambition of GMIT, IT Sligo and Letterkenny to a become a TU has moved a step closer following a meeting of the Connacht Ulster Alliance, the C-U-A …” (more)

[Galway Bay FM, 17 December]

“The ambition of GMIT, IT Sligo and Letterkenny IT to become a Technological University (TU) has moved a step closer with a very significant meeting of all three governing bodies of the Connacht Ulster Alliance (CUA) in Donegal recently …” (more)

[Connie Duffy, Donegal Live, 16 December]

“Tony McLoughlin (Sligo-Leitrim, Fine Gael): To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the status of the application by Sligo Institute of Technology for university status; and if he will make a statement on the matter …” (more)

[Dáil written answers, 21 November]

“Jan O’Sullivan (Limerick City, Labour): To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if his attention has been drawn to plans by management at Dundalk Institute of Technology to develop a fifth school with the working title of new school of flexible and postgraduate provision at the institute arising from a recent report on the Review of Key Functional Areas relating to Admissions July 2019; if his Department has had engagement with the institute on this proposal; his views on the failure of the institute to progress an initiative for technological university status; and if he will make a statement on the matter …” (more)

[Dáil written answers, 19 November]

“A planned strike by staff at the Dundalk Institute of Technology which was scheduled to go ahead next Tuesday has been called off after management signalled it would move to pursue the status of a technological university. The Teachers’ Union of Ireland said on Friday it had secured its strategic objectives and the threat of strike action had been lifted …” (more)

[Martin Wall, Irish Times, 15 November]

“Robert Troy (Longford-Westmeath, Fianna Fail): To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the status of the application by Waterford Institute of Technology for university status …” (more)

[Dáil written answers, 12 November]

“Dundalk Institute of Technology say they are disappointed in the Teachers’ Union of Ireland’s decision to embark on industrial action next week. Strike action by lecturers and researchers will commence on Tuesday November 19th after they recently voted 99.1% in favour of industrial action in a dispute revolving around a lack of meaningful consultation on the Institute’s strategic future, and a proposed new ‘fifth school’ that the TUI claims violates national and local agreements …” (more)

[Talk of the Town, 12 November]

“A planning application has been lodged at City Hall for a new four-storey building at GMIT to house the schools of science, computing and engineering. The €25m project is part of the college’s plan to achieve Technological University status …” (more)

[Enda Cunningham, Connacht Tribune, 10 November]

“Minister for Education and Skills Joe McHugh TD and Minister of State with responsibility for Higher Education Mary Mitchell O’Connor TD today (6 November 2019) welcomed the report of the TU Research Network (TURN): Connectedness and Collaboration enabled by Connectivity, which was presented to the Department by the TURN high level working group …” (more)

[Department of Education and Skills, 6 November]

“Staff at DkIT have voted by 99.1% to 0.9% to engage in industrial action in a dispute which they describe as ‘the failure of DKIT’s President’s Office and Institute Administration to adhere to national collective agreements, respect industrial relations mechanisms and engage in transparent and meaningful consultation on a range of issues’. Frustration has been building for months regarding the Institute’s strategic future …” (more)

[Talk of the Town, 2 November]

“… In an update sent to staff and students of both colleges this week, which was seen by the Cork Independent, said that the project team is working towards a designation date of 1 September 2020 and that this is subject to a final decision by the Minister for Education and Skills …” (more)

[Niamh Aine Ryan, Cork Independent, 24 October]

“Willie Penrose (Longford-Westmeath, Labour): To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if he has received an application from Athlone Institute of Technology and Limerick Institute of Technology to come together to form a new technological university for the region pursuant to the Technological University Act 2018; when a decision will be made thereon; and if he will make a statement on the matter …” (more)

[Dáil written answers, 22 October]