2025-12-11

213. Deputy Ruairí Ó Murchú asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if he will provide an outline of the engagement there has been with his Department, Dundalk IT and Queen's University Belfast about their recent partnership to create Dundalk university college; the plans for the future development and enhancement of the partnership; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [67774/25]

I ask the Minister to outline all the engagements between his Department, Dundalk IT and Queen's University Belfast. We were all happy to see this recent partnership, which will result in greater provision of undergraduate and postgraduate programmes and the creation of an innovation hub, all of which is very positive. I commend Diarmuid O'Callaghan and his team on their work. We need to ensure this partnership is facilitated and enhanced.

I was delighted to recently announce this partnership and my support for it. I brought the proposal to the Government to receive all-of-government support and endorsement for it. It is a very exciting and historic proposal. This will be the first all-island university, which speaks to many of our aspirations about our shared island and all-island dimensions. It is a programme that will enhance both DkIT and Queen's University. The partnership will include an integration of DkIT within the academic framework of Queen's University, ensuring that students studying in Dundalk will graduate with a Queen's University award. It also envisages a joint research and innovation centre on the Dundalk campus, which will be a close collaboration with enterprise and industry as part of a research and industry foundational partnership. It will further strengthen regional development in the north east and along the Dublin-Belfast corridor. It also places a full university education within reach of students in the north east, perhaps filling a gap that may have existed previously between Dublin and Belfast. With this partnership, university education will be accessible and available to students in Dundalk. Of course, student mobility skills development and shared learning are part of that as well. It is worth noting that the proposal will see DkIT, while becoming a college of Queen's University, remain an autonomous, self-governing university college and retain its rights. It is part of a new model within the Irish higher education landscape. It is a slightly different model from other technological universities and my expectation is it will require legislation. I hope the Deputy and his party will support that, as I imagine they will, and that others in the House will support it too. There is a very exciting and ambitious timetable for it, which I certainly intend to do my best to work with.

We are all very supportive of this proposal, and why would we not be? Obviously, I want to see Dundalk university college, but the cross-Border aspects are fabulous, as is the research and innovation centre the Minister referred to. This is a world-class institute and a world-class university coming together to produce something better. We will be able to build on the great work done by the regional development centre that has spun out a number of impressive start-ups, some of which are incredibly well-known or world famous. We just need to see more of that. This project could avail of shared island funding. As the Minister said, the timetable is tight enough, so we need to make sure we can facilitate it. Does the Minister have any idea of when this legislation will need to be delivered? I also think the naming process falls within the Minister's remit.

I thank the Deputy for that. Discussions are ongoing and intensifying between the two institutions. My Department and I remain in close contact with both institutions. From the early stages, I indicated my full and strong support and shared ambition to develop and progress this partnership. My understanding is the institutions intend to sign heads of agreement this month. This is happening now; it is not an abstract, down-the-road initiative. I am particularly pleased and supportive of this. I communicated to the colleges that it was my wish that this progress with pace. The engagement will continue into the new year in 2026. There are a number of toll gates we will go through. I expect to be in a position to bring legislation before the House at that stage. There are some technical details that we need to work through. It is important to restate that DkIT will remain within the existing legal and governance frameworks, remaining an active part of our technological and higher education system. There are some alignments that need to be made there but the proposal is certainly moving in the right direction and going well.

I agree with the Minister. It is about making sure that happens, with the heads of agreement and then beyond that. Subject to all the caveats associated with setting deadlines, Dundalk university college could be up and running in 2026, possibly in September. As I said, it will be signed, sealed and delivered in respect of the relationship. We all welcome the fact that the college will be autonomous, rather than being subsumed into another outfit. There is a huge body of work to do to achieve alignment. We know the issues, whether at third level or in relation to apprenticeships. Certification and recognition of awards has created a whole pile of issues. We need some sort of means by which we deal with those cross-Border issues. At some point, we have to get down to the real work of building a new Ireland but this is definitely a good start. I call on the shared island unit to do more on that than it is doing at the minute.

As I have said previously, the Deputy and I share those aspirations in every sense. The Deputy mentioned the mechanics of how we develop the working patterns between Dundalk IT and Queen's University, and referred more broadly to apprenticeships on the island. On apprenticeships more broadly, I launched the first-ever all-island apprenticeship, namely, the accounting technician programme, along with the Minister of State, Deputy Harkin. We recently worked with the Minister for the Economy, Caoimhe Archibald MLA, in the Northern Ireland Executive, and I was very pleased to be able to do so. We have had a number of very positive engagements at the North-South Ministerial Council. Not so long ago, I also attended the British-Irish Parliamentary Assembly in Surrey, which I think the Deputy attended as well. We have had some really constructive conversations with stakeholders in the North and the UK on things like UCAS and the CAO, in respect of which there is some alignment, and in terms of A levels versus the leaving certificate and so on. There are a number of differences but I think differences can be overcome, and these are details that we can work through. I would not want that to stop and I know the Deputy is of the same mind. It is very important that we just work out how to make it work, and that we go on to make it work. That will be a good day's work when that happens.