Worrying Period For Technological Universities

Speaking following the debate on the Technological Universities Bill, Dublin South West TD Seán Crowe said that his party were giving qualified support for the Bill to allow it to proceed, but wanted to see major changes for that support to continue.

Seán Crowe TD said;

“Sinn Féin is on record as having a long standing position of support for the introduction of Technological Universities in Ireland.

“This is not a position of unqualified support, but we are broadly supportive of the concept and the introduction of legislation to process the development of Technological Universities is a sensible approach.

“Along with many others in the education system and those who work in the current Institutes I have serious concerns about the legislation in its current form based on the implications that there are for compulsory mergers with no prospect of securing TU status;

“The three institutes in Tallaght, Blanchardstown and DIT account for about 45pc of first year third-level students in all Dublin higher education colleges, and together will create a formidable force. While Grangegorman will be the mother ship to use Star Trek language, the other IT campuses will continue to operate.

“As well as honours degrees, institutes of technology also provide a wide range of courses at what is known as Level 6 and Level 7 (higher certificates and ordinary degrees).

“The changed status will inevitably have serious implications and risks to pay and pensions of the current staff; and the decrease in representations for staff and students on the new proposed governing bodies is a worrying aspect of this development.

“We know that the third level sector has suffered chronic underfunding over the past number of years, losing a third of funding while seeing an increase in the same amount of students, so its understandable that many view  this Bill as being driven not by academic value, but worryingly as an exercise in cost-cutting.

“The Minister needs to realise that you cannot deliver an education sector or educate students on a shoe string.  Sinn Fein will be tabling extensive amendments at Committee stage in order to have all of these matters discussed in detail.”