Kelleher pushes for Cork education site

FIANNA FÁIL TD Billy Kelleher has said that he intends to canvass the Minister for Education and Science Mary Hanafin about putting Cork forward as a possible site for the planned European Institute of Technology (EIT).

The European Commission is looking to establish an academic institution to rival the best in the US and boost Europe’s performance in education and research.

So far, the Czech Republic, Hungary and Poland have expressed interest in hosting the project, which would have an annual budget of e1 billion from the EU.

“Of the world’s top 10 universities, Europe has only two - Cambridge and Oxford. Ireland’s third-level institutions have an exemplary academic record. UCC and Cork Institute of Technology have been at the forefront of that effort,” said Mr Kelleher.