Institutes of Technology had no justification in providing degree programmes in agriculture, horticulture or forestry when universities such as UCD were providing degree programmes, Dr Liam Downey, director of Teagasc, says.

Teagasc agricultural colleges and ITs could provide the basic science, animal and crop husbandry components of agricultural education and students then should proceed to colleges such as those offered by UCD for more advanced degree and post-graduation degree programmes.

In a lecture to celebrate the centenary of the founding of the agriculture faculty at UCD, Dr Downey said last night that a handful of agricultural colleges would be sufficient to meet future needs.