Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

That is entirely right. I was talking to the South East Technological University team yesterday at the National Ploughing Championships. I know they are extraordinarily eager to advance the issue of student accommodation. I have had excellent conversations with Professor Campbell about that. Waterford is particularly well placed. We want all our technological universities to develop student accommodation. Of course, they have done it before in Waterford. Historically, it was done with the Waterford Institute of Technology project too. Professor Campbell and others will now benefit from the fact that there is a €1 million fund available to prepare student accommodation plans. There is also a standardised design process that the Minister, Deputy Darragh O'Brien, and I will complete, which brings a lot of sense to planning as well as speed to be able to turn projects around. The next step, from my perspective, is the governing authority meeting in due course to finally approve the proposal, having gone through its due diligence. I will then look to meet South East Technological University. I am happy to meet it with Waterford Deputies to talk about the next steps for the site and how my Department and perhaps other Departments can be helpful in creating that enterprise quarter, which this site provides us with an opportunity to do.

See this speech in context