Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Certainly not from me. I think Deputy Shanahan would be in favour of political patronage if it were to do with the south east, so there is a slight irony in that remark.

My Department is working with both WIT and IT Carlow on a number of projects, including, as I said, the engineering, computing and general teaching building in WIT. It is the largest project in the entire country within the PPP bundle for the higher education sector and it will increase the capacity of the Waterford campus by 1,037 students. However, that is not where my ambition for Waterford stops. I very much recognise that there will be a need to expand the campus footprint within Waterford, and I know the Deputy has an interest in that. As I said, there is also the plan for the science and health building in IT Carlow.

The Deputy makes a fair point in asking why those projects cannot happen more quickly. My understanding is that prospective tenderers for the bundle are currently being shortlisted and construction is expected to begin in 2022. If I have enough time in my final response, I can outline the process that needs to be followed in this regard.

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