Marc Ó Cathasaigh (Waterford, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the ambitious reform agenda and vision the Minister is setting out for his Department. I welcome in particular that commitment to further education, literacy and apprenticeships, which is really important, but the Minister will not be surprised if I return to the issue of the technological university for the south east, TUSE. My constituency colleague, Deputy Cullinane, has already covered quite a bit of ground on this. This was discussed extensively at the Oireachtas committee recently and the Minister described some of the commentary on the location of the headquarters of the new university as "misinformation, disinformation and downright nonsense". I largely agree with the Minister's view on this. There are certainly individuals seeking to make hay on this politically, but we can expect rumour to fill a void if there is an information gap, and the Minister can understand if the people of Waterford and the south east are twice shy because we have been bitten more than once by successive Governments. I really welcome the clarity of the answers the Minister has given on the floor of the Dáil today. That has been the clearest indication we have had to date. I have been speaking to TUI members in WIT and they have flagged some of their concerns with me. The academic staff, as the Minister will be aware, backed the memorandum of understanding put to them in 2019 by a huge margin, 93%. That is the level of goodwill that exists in respect of this project, but they have felt sidelined since and they are deeply worried about the public commentary as well. These are people who are hugely invested in the WIT project and the TUSE project. It is their hard work. These are the people who made WIT the leading institute of technology in the country, despite all the obstacles that were put in front of them. I have been clear and unequivocal in my support for the TUSE project from the beginning. In the Minister's words, it is a game changer. I ascribe to that view and I welcome Deputy Cullinane's views on the matter as well, but we need to see the definite shape of the project coming in at sharper focus as we close in on the deadline.

I thank the Minister and the Minister of State for engaging with Oireachtas Members this morning. My direct question is this: what plans does the Minister have to engage with these union groups and listen to their very valid and genuine concerns about things such as capital funding, the composition of the new board and the future configuration of the new university and to give them reassurance, as the Minister has done on the floor of the Dáil today?

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