Sinn Féin spokesperson on Further and Higher Education, Mairéad Farrell TD, has called on Minister O’Donovan to clarify whether the Technological Universities will be given borrowing powers, similar to other universities.

Teachta Farrell said:

“For too long, the Technological Universities (TUs) have existed in a kind of limbo. They are no longer institutes of technology, yet they haven’t become fully fledged universities. They have land but no means of developing student accommodation on this land.

“The government made a big fuss about the need to amalgamate the various institutes of technology and smaller colleges, and to transform them into universities but they’ve left them in a kind of halfway house.

“The Taoiseach was a great man for the big announcements when he was Minister for Higher Education but was weak on follow-through.

“He first said that the plan was to move the TUs off balance sheet and to allow them to borrow like the other universities, and that the necessary preparations would be undertaken to do this with Eurostat.

“However, then there was nothing. No preparations and no alternative plan put in place. When I questioned him about this earlier this year on the Education committee, he said maybe they could look at the use of public private partnerships (PPPS) for the TUs to deliver student accommodation.

“I am not aware if Minister O’Donovan has any plans in this regard but I would hope he could clarify if something is in the works for the TUs. I am aware of the frustration in these institutions, so it is time the Minister brought some clarity to the situation.”