In an effort to bring greater cohesion to higher education in Ireland, the Irish Minister for Education and Science has signed an Order to commence an Institute of Technology Act, effective as of 1 February 2007. This new legislation unites Ireland’s fourteen Institutes of Technology under the remit of the Higher Education Authority, a body that was previously limited to the seven universities and various smaller institutions. Inspired by the recent OECD Review of Higher Education in Ireland, the Act aims to:

• afford new managerial freedoms to the technology institutes;
• restructure the role of technology institutes in meeting the needs of learners;
• encourage technology institutes to develop industry partnerships;
• encourage institutional collaboration across the entire higher education sector.

Irish Education and Science minister Mary Hanafin believes this to be a major step in the integration of Irish higher education. Irish Department of Education and Science