National Institute for Higher Education
A National Institute for Higher Education (NIHE) was a category of higher education institution established in Ireland to provide higher level technical education. This was seen to be an area that was poorly served until the advent of these institutions.The plan was to see degree level education mainly. The first institution was set up in Limerick, where there had been long-standing demand for a university, in fact a "University of Limerick" was proposed inter alia in the late 1960s by the Lichfield Report.
In the 1970s it was expected that the institutions would be recognised colleges of the National University of Ireland, in time this status been raised to constituent college status. This plan was dropped in favor of designated status under the NCEA after initial linkage with the university.
| Former Institute | Current University | Announced | 'Opened |
| National Institute for Higher Education, Dublin | Dublin City University | 1971 | 1980 |
| National Institute for Higher Education, Limerick | University of Limerick | 1969 | 1972 |
These were de-facto universities from the start, and were elevated to the level of university in 1989 after the International Study Group on Technological Education presented its recommendations in the late 1980s to the Irish Government on their status.