The Education Minister has announced a major reorganisation of higher education - including the setting up of three new Technological Universities.

It follows recommendations made by the Higher Education Authority - which is calling for consolidation of the I.T. sector.

Dublin Institute of Technology, the Institute of Technology Tallaght and the Institute of Technology, Blanchardstown will come together to become a Technological University.

So too will Cork IT and IT Tralee come together as will Waterford IT and Carlow IT.

In addition, the Minister is asking the HEA to establish regional clusters of third level institutions in Dublin/Leinster, the South/South East and West/Mid/West.