Richard Boyd Barrett: What About IADT's University Path?

Thanks Ciann Comhairle. Minister, can you tell us what the current status of the draft legislation to amend the Technological Universities Act in terms of the facilitation of the partnership that was announced between Dundalk Institute of Technology and Queen's University and I'm asking that question in particular because of the potential implications or whether there might be implications for what will be then the last remaining IT which is IADT and whether the scope within the legislation for their status to be dealt with. So first of all to take the Dundalk Queen's partnership, so that partnership under development is a hugely significant initiative as I'm sure you'll agree and advances the government's goal not only a balanced regional development although it very much does creating a university now on that northeast corridor between Dublin and Belfast but by creating the first ever all-Ireland university it very much advances shared island objectives and broader objectives of alignment between both jurisdictions on the island and creating that shared entity. So that partnership will include the development of shared processes and awards and awarding qualifications and managing quality assurance of these different assessment bodies and grades etc within it, collaboration in the research and innovation space and many other areas. It's also worth noting that Dundalk under the partnership and under the technical specifications that we're currently devising and how it's actually going to operate, Dundalk will retain its status as an autonomous designated institution of higher education in the state while being part of Queen's it also remains an autonomous entity within the state. So the matter has progressed steadily, our first approach to government in November, I was delighted to be able to do so, secure cabinet approval and set out immediately on pursuing the legislation that would be required to give an acumen to it and also the colleges themselves, Queen's and DKRT have been engaging closely and setting working groups along with officials from my department to prepare the necessary requirements and regulations to align the two jurisdictions and address whatever wrinkles may be there between incompatibilities to bring those together. Now I'm very conscious of your interest in IADT which I share, I visited the college on a number of occasions, I've met at the IADT executive and president and team both on site and indeed in here and other areas and it is one of only two remaining IOTs in the state at this point and it is a distinctive institution, I think it's a great opportunity for it as a leader in the creative arts. Okay but look I can see the attraction of university status for Dundalk, all Ireland etc okay but that leaves Dunairie IADT out on its own with no pathway, no clear pathway forward and in particular I'm concerned for the staff and the workers for their terms and conditions and the sustainability of the IADT. If everybody who used to be an IT is now a university who wants to go to an IADT right but if it's going to get university status is it going to be done under the Technological Universities Act of 2018 so that the staff retain their existing terms and conditions because that's the way they would like it to be done, that's their declared position and they're quite angry the TUI deplored the way in which the announcement was made that they had not been consulted with in advance that the authorities of Queens and Dundalk and the government clearly involved in the discussions around this make an announcement but no consultation with the TUI, with the workers so this needs to be addressed. Yeah thanks deputy, just taking it in reverse order so dealing with the TUI the first instance so the manner of the announcement was sensitive and was a case of jumping together so that the executive of Dundalk IT and the board of Queens University and indeed cabinet here consider the matter the same morning at the same time and having come to a shared conclusion we were then in a position to announce. I hope you understand due to the sensitivities around it, it is historical, it is groundbreaking as a development creating the first online university and it was essential that we actually moved as one and so I think that I hope that put some context in the announcement. I have met the TUI executive a number of times both here in Enster House, I attended their conference recently and engaged them on this matter and many other matters. I think we did very good engagement, a very solid engagement. I don't say they agree with everything, I don't say I agree with them and everything but I think we have a good working relationship and I think there's mutual respect there. I might come back to the IADT specific position on the next round because I do want to go into some detail on where that's at. Yeah well okay but I mean first of all it's not great to make an announcement like that without consulting with the workers but the question then is, if you talk to them you know their clearly declared position is that it should be done through the Technological Universities Act of 2018 as an amendment to that. Can you clarify that that is what the draft legislation is? When are we going to see it? When is it going to be published? Will there be scope for amendment to if you like provide the pathway or scope to accommodate a pathway for IADT which will be the last remaining IT which will not be sustainable unless it has a pathway to university status but the one that is preferred by the TUI and the staff in the IADT is for it to be done through the Technological Universities Bill right because anything else threatens or creates considerable uncertainty for the future of those workers in the terms and conditions of employment that they enjoy. Yeah so the TUI Act is predicated on the creation of Technological Universities through the amalgamation of Institutes of Technology so by IADT coming together to form a Technological University that's the framework that's provided for the current TUI Act and it doesn't currently have a mechanism within that Act and for the elevation of a single IOT to become a university so that process is not catered for within the Act. The Act is the amalgamation and to come together of different satellites to become one and it doesn't have a single elevation path. The other thing I'd say is that in the case of Dundalk and Queens there are a number of unique aspects to the partnership because of the north-south nature of it because of the cross-jurisdictional nature of it so that will that does require a separate legislation and I intend to publish Heads of Bill at the earliest opportunity which I think will be very very soon perhaps as early as next week and I think we will see the the flow forward from at that stage. I absolutely share the ambition of IADT to achieve university status and I fully support them in doing that and I absolutely respect the rights of staff and indeed learners at the college to have their say in that process. That is the process that I am engaged in also working with the Institute in parallel. Thank you. Moving to question three.