Professor Veronica Campbell:

Good morning. I am the president of SETU. I thank the committee for the invitation to be here today.

South East Technological University, SETU, was established in 2022 under the Technological Universities Act. It is the only university in the south-east region, a region that spans from north Wexford to west Waterford. The Central Statistics Office reports that the level of third level attainment in the south-east region still remains below the national average, so the presence of SETU in the region is critical to balanced regional development. With the population of the region expected to significantly increase by 2040, the role of the university will be central to educational opportunity for all.

There are 18,000 students currently studying at SETU. Our graduates are working in highly skilled areas such as the ICT, pharmaceutical and agrifood sectors, as well as within the HSE, construction or service industries. Their attributes are appreciated by the multinational companies located in the south east, as well as by the indigenous industry and public sector employers in the region.

Our academic programmes and therefore our graduates are responding to the green and digital transitions and opportunities associated with the blue economy and AI. SETU’s research community is actively engaged in these areas through our four Enterprise Ireland technology gateways and with funded research projects involving international academic partners and industry. SETU therefore plays an important role in driving economic, social and cultural development for the south-east region through the graduate talent pipeline and our research impact.

Placing the student at the heart of what we do as a technological university is expressed in our strategic plan. This is about ensuring an environment that is conducive to academic success. Affordable student accommodation located on or close by a university campus supports the integration of students into the life of the university, removes the deleterious impact of long commute times and positively impacts student welfare and academic success. A residential campus brings life to the campus in the evening and creates a vibrant environment within the university for our students’ benefit.

SETU is the only technological university with purpose-built student accommodation, yet we still face major challenges. SETU currently has on-campus provision of 432 beds. However, there is a growing unmet demand with 715 students on the waiting list at the start of this academic year and we have seen that waiting list increase by 73% over the past three years.

In the private market, between 2022 and 2025, available student bed spaces in Waterford dropped by 467 beds further exacerbating the competition for accommodation within the private student accommodation market. The students' union president, Erin Foley, has also recently advised me that some of the rooms in the private market are of extremely poor quality, which is very stressful for the affected students.

SETU is actively working on solutions to expand the amount of accommodation we can offer to our students. We have identified sites on our campuses in Waterford and Carlow and have undertaken feasibility studies in relation to building purpose-built student accommodation on those sites. This information was submitted, via the Higher Education Authority, last summer as part of a long list of options for consideration to unlock the student accommodation crisis that we face. We continue to be open to exploring all options and models through which to deliver affordable student accommodation in the south-east region.

SETU is ambitious for its future as the anchor higher education institution in the south-east. With new programmes, including in pharmacy and veterinary medicine, an impactful research and knowledge transfer portfolio and a very deep commitment to access to education, SETU is carrying out its role, as outlined in legislation, for the region. Delivering student accommodation is critical for student success and ensuring the talent pipeline. We cannot deliver additional accommodation without partnership with Government and I look forward to exploring all options along with my colleagues from across the technological university sector. Thank you.