Ninth Level Ireland

“Some years ago during a few days in Bologna Italy, home since 1096AD to the oldest university in the world, I was privileged to see in its ancient library a copy of the 1662AD work of Robert Boyle, from Lismore. A university is for ever a piece of educational infrastructure, vital to the wellbeing of any city. Waterford has sought university designation for over 80 years without success …” (more)

[Waterford News and Star, 9 March]

“The Chairman of the Piltown Municipal District has re-tabled a curiosity expressed by many stakeholders on both sides of the River Suir when it comes to the provision of third level education in the South East. Speaking at the conclusion of the District’s March meeting, Cllr Eamon Aylward (FF) stated: …” (more)

[Dermot Keyes, Waterford News and Star, 8 March]

“The case for a university in Waterford is eons old. Waterford was a large rich trading city in the 1840’s and was the natural location for a NUI university, along with Cork and Dublin. Hansard, the official transcript of the UK parliament, indicates the university was moved to Galway as Waterford’s leading political families were associated with Napoleon …” (more)

[Waterford News and Star, 19 January]

“The €110 million funding breakthrough for the North Quays development delivered some badly needed pre-Christmas cheer for the people of Waterford. Combined with the prospect of a Covid-19 vaccine, it opens up all sorts of possibilities in 2021 at the end of what’s been the ultimate annus horribilis …” (more)

[Richard Finnegan, 26 November]

“… Waterford is being fobbed off with Tech Uni designation, despite being the only city in the country without a university. Fine Gael has, since 2008, evaded their electoral promises and through chronic underfunding, undermined WIT at almost every turn. It is clear in the recent funding announcements that there is a huge government / political / Fine Gael / HEA effort to big up IT Carlow and suppress WIT. These funding announcements also make it very clear that the TU process will not produce a real university in our region …” (more)

[Waterford News and Star, 10 November]

“Ever since I was a child, I have listened to politicians talk about a University for Waterford and for the region. For decades, the demand for educational equality for the South East has fallen on deaf ears. Moves championed as one step forward in reality were two steps back …” (more)

[David Cullinane, Waterford News and Star, 8 August]

“The Labour Party in Waterford is calling for a time limit to be put on the Technological University for the South East (TUSE). Alternatively, Waterford Institute of Technology (WIT) alone should be encouraged to establish a Waterford University under the Universities Act 1997 …” (more)

[Waterford Live, 6 July]

“While admitting to feeling ‘a little let down’ in the wake of last week’s Munster Technological University (MTU) announcement, WIT President Willie Donnelly has told staff: ‘We have earned the title of University’ …” (more)

[Dermot Keyes, Waterford News and Star, 31 May]

“Fine Gael’s decade long policy of frustrating the emergence of a university in Waterford might be at an end. It was a crafty master-stroke to snarl up the future of WIT in a car-crash merger with Carlow …” (more)

[Waterford News and Star, 7 April]

“In December, the Education Minister Joe McHugh tweeted a picture from his office with the message, ‘Sign-off. Putting pen to paper on university status for @RCSI_Irl after a 235-year history’. It was a signature moment for RCSI, which could finally call itself a university in Ireland after years of lobbying. It had met the criteria under a new legal process …” (more)

[Catherine Reilly, Medical Independent, 17 February]

“The Royal College of Surgeons Ireland (RCSI) has been formally authorised to use the title of ‘university’ for the first time in 235 years. The institution is to describe itself as ‘RCSI university of medicine and health sciences’ in future …” (more)

[Carl O’Brien, Irish Times, 10 December]

“Minister for Education and Skills Joe McHugh TD and Minister of State with responsibility for Higher Education Mary Mitchell O’Connor TD today (10 December 2019) announced that the Royal College of Surgeons Ireland (RCSI) has been authorised to use the title of university in Ireland …” (more)

[Department of Education and Skills, 10 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]

“WIT lecturer Dr Ray Griffin talks to Julie Smyth about the upcoming budget, what Paschal Donoghue can do to boost the South East’s economy and why, as an academic working in the region he is frustrated with the Taoiseach’s reported ‘frustration’ regarding the formation of a Technological University for the South East …” (interview)

[Spreaker, 15 September]

“More than 200 years after it started training surgeons, the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (RCSI) is set to become a university following passage of reforming education legislation. The legislation increases the powers of the Quality and Qualifications Ireland (QQI) the agency which has responsibility for quality and qualifications in further and higher education …” (more)

[Marie O’Halloran, Irish Times, 11 July]

“The Qualifications and Quality Assurance (Education and Training) (Amendment) Bill 2018 was today (Thursday, 11th of July) passed by both Houses of the Oireachtas and will now be presented to the President for his signature. Minister of State for Higher Education Mary Mitchell O’Connor TD said: ‘I am delighted to be able to say today that the Government has put in place protections for the staff and students of English language schools, with the passing of this Bill …'” (more)

[Department of Education and Skills, 11 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.

“Sir, – Prof William Reville notes that many institutes of technology such as the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and the California Institute of Technology achieved top ranking in the latest QS World University Rankings …” (more)

[Cormac O’Raifeartaigh, Irish Times, 28 June]

“Sir, – I read the report by Carl O’Brien on the 2020 QS World University Rankings with interest. I note particularly that institutes of technology are performing very well (‘Irish universities stay outside top 100 in world rankings’, News, June 19th) …” (more)

[Letters, Irish Times, 20 June]

“John Lahart (Dublin South West, Fianna Fail): I welcome the opportunity to speak on this Bill relating to Quality and Qualifications Ireland, QQI. It is important to note one of the contexts in which this is relevant. There are only five or six countries in the world that are English speaking and the English language education market is a significant market in that regard. With the pending withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union in some shape or form, Ireland is the principal English language speaking destination and therefore English language education destination in the European Union …” (more)

[Dáil debates, 13 June]