The Minister for Education, Dr Woods, is "anxious" to see problems at the State's largest third-level college, the DIT, addressed by its management and governing body.
In a statement, Dr Woods praised DIT for the "quality and diversity of its programmes", but acknowledged that it had serious problems. This is an unusual move for the third-level sector, and follows serious criticism of DIT last week before the Dail Committee of Public Accounts and by the Labour Relations Commission Dr Woods said Prof Patrick Fottrell, who recently became chairman of the college's governing body, "will have my full support in bringing about any necessary reforms".
He said Dr Fottrell would help introduce more "robust systems of accounting and control".
Dr Fottrell, the former president of NUI Galway, is helping DIT draw up a five-year strategy which Dr Woods said would ensure DIT's ongoing development.
Senior education sources said Dr Woods's intervention was timed to show support for DIT during a difficult period. In addition to criticism from the LRC and the Dail committee, DIT also faces an election for a new president, which could cause tension among senior academics.
Dr Woods said recent problems at DIT "have to be seen in the context of the overall performance and substantial contribution of the institute to Irish higher education.
"In the area of apprenticeship, DIT is a very important centre, providing for nearly 2,800 apprentices in the current academic year. The institute has strong links with industry and the professions, which it aims to strengthen and develop," he said.