Regional Technical College

A Regional Technical College (RTC) is a type of college in Ireland now replaced by an Institute of Technology (IOT). The idea of the institutions was first announced by Patrick Hillery in 1963. A year later, a site for an institution in Carlow was identified. The Investment in Education (1962) and Training of Technicians in Ireland (1964) reports greatly accelerated the trend in Ireland for education reform and development particularly in technical education, similar to that in other Western Countries at the time. The Steering Committee on Technical Education, also called The Mulcahy Report (1967), was an important milestone in framing the institutional structures and functions.

Legislation

The institutions were run under the Vocational Education Acts from 1970 until 1992 as special subcommittees of the Vocational Education Committees, and placed on an independent basis thereafter by the Regional Technical Colleges Acts in 1993. In the late 1990s, all of the institutions were upgraded to Institute of Technology status. This was in recognition of the high standards, including university level research, which takes place at them. Additionally some institutions have been given delegated authority and confer their own certificates, diplomas, and, in due course, degrees. The Regional Techical Colleges Acts still apply to all the institutions, with Dublin Institute of Technology set up under previous legislation and been quite distinct.

Related Topics:
Vocational Education Committee - University - Research - Dublin Institute of Technology

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