Minister for Education Simon Harris has appointed the first governing body of the new Atlantic Technological University which will open its doors on 1st April 2022.
It follows the granting of Technological University status to a consortium comprising Letterkenny, Galway-Mayo, and Sligo and Institutes of Technology, which entities will cease to legally exist from that date.
The Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine Charlie McConalogue welcomed the appointment.
Minister McConalogue said: “I welcome the appointment of Ms Maura McNally as the chair of the first governing body of this new TU serving the North West and West. Maura will be supported by colleagues Ms Oonagh Monaghan and Felim McNeela as external members of the governing body, and Ms Anne McHugh, Chief Executive of Donegal ETB, being the nominee of all three Education and Training Boards in whose areas the TU multi-campuses are located”.
Minister McConalogue continued “The progress of the ATU is exciting and it is important that a talented governing body has been established to ably steer the ATU in its inception. I wish the governing body and the staff all the best in this new endeavour which is very important for LYIT, Letterkenny and all of Donegal and the North West.”
The first governing body appointed by Minister Harris is now charged with establishing and implementing the requisite election and appointment procedures to fill the remaining posts on the governing body from cohorts including undergraduate and postgraduate students, academic and non-academic staff as well as a number of additional external members.
These appointments were made following an open competition process operated by the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science.
Joe McHugh, TD for Donegal, has also welcomed the appointments.
Joe McHugh, “I am pleased that Minister for Further and Higher Education and Research Simon Harris TD, has today appointed the first governing body of the new Atlantic Technological University for the West and North West region.
“This is an important step in this development and will undoubtedly have massive benefits for our whole region. This will create stronger regional growth in the North West, and will further encourage the development of our close cross-border links here in Donegal,” concluded McHugh.
