The Technological Universities Bill has now completed all stages, in both houses of the Oireachtas and will soon be signed into law.
Minister Mitchell O’Connor said, “This is a transformative piece of legislation and I am delighted that we have got it over the line. The Technological Universities Bill is a high priority for Government and will radically change the higher education landscape.
“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.”
She went on to say “The creation of technological universities provides the opportunity to drive regional development and provide more opportunities for individuals, enterprise and the community. These institutions will have significant impact and influence regionally, nationally and internationally.
The development is part of the 2018 Action plan for education which proposes the creation of several Technological Universities, linked to industry and with the capacity to create and retain jobs in regions. The plan features hundreds of actions, including the introduction of new subjects, reviews of existing initiatives & the creation of a teacher-supply steering group to support efforts to bridge shortfalls of teachers in certain second-level subjects, and the difficulty for primary schools in finding substitute teachers.
View the 2018 Action Plan for Education at https://www.education.ie/en/Publications/Corporate-Reports/Strategy-Statement/action-plan-for-education-2018.pdf