The Milltown Institute of Theology and Philosophy is an institution of higher education and research, located in Dublin, Ireland. Milltown is run by the Jesuits and is located in Milltown/Ranelagh in Dublin. Since 1997 it has been a recognised college of the National University of Ireland, under the 1997 Universities Act, the Irish government removed the ban on the NUI awarding degrees in Theology which had stood since its foundation and its predecessor the Royal University of Ireland. The Ecclesiastical Faculty at Milltown is also a Pontifical Athenaeum. The Irish School of Ecumenics is located at the Milltown Park site. Since November 1989, when it was granted designated status under the National Council for Educational Awards Act 1979, it has developed and offered civil programmes leading to Bachelor, Masters and Doctoral awards. The NCEA became HETAC om 2001. The college entered into negotiations about a possible alliance with University College Dublin in 2008, however these talks were unsuccessful, however an Alliance with the traditionally protestant Trinity College Dublin is due to take effect in 2012.