Further and Higher Education
Dail Éireann — 2025-12-11
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Brendan Smith (FF), Cavan-Monaghan

I was delighted at the Oireachtas Committee on Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science a number of weeks ago when the Minister was able to tell us about the progress made in developing the strategic partnership between Dundalk Institute of Technology and Queen's University. The Minister was able to say the words, "We will have an all-Ireland university". Those of us, particularly from the Border region, who have advocated for this development were thrilled. Practical things are being done. We are not talking about waving flags and citizens' assemblies. We have the Minister doing practical things. In the past, a former president of Dundalk Institute of Technology, Dr. Michael Mulvey, along with the then chair of the board of governors Councillor Clifford Kelly put the idea forward of more collaboration with education institutions in Northern Ireland and identified Queen's University as a very worthwhile potential partner for Dundalk Institute of Technology. Those people did some preparatory work. As a former member of the board of governors of Dundalk Institute of Technology, Senator Diarmuid Wilson was very supportive of the work of Councillor Clifford Kelly and Dr. Michael Mulvey when they were advocating for that all-Ireland cross-Border co-operation when it was not as fashionable as it is today.

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Record URI: https://data.oireachtas.ie/akn/ie/debateRecord/dail/2025-12-11/debate/main
Retrieved: 2026-08-27T06:54:48+00:00
Sitting date: 2025-12-11