David Cullinane (Sinn Fein)

I welcome the Minister of State to the House. In a previous Adjournment matter I tabled on foot of the job losses in TalkTalk, I raised the issue of the need for a university for the south east and for Waterford Institute of Technology to be designated as a university. At the time the Minister gave a commitment that he would visit WIT and he has done so. He will have seen the outstanding facilities there, including the ICT building, which was completed in October 2004; the nurse education building, which commenced in September 2004; the enterprise research centre; the tourism building; and the Telecommunications Software and Systems Group, TSSG. All of the building blocks have been put in place by Waterford Institute of Technology. The Port report, which first looked at the application by WIT for a university, stated that Waterford had the academic maturity and an activity profile that was similar to universities in Ireland and other western countries. It also mentioned the governance, management and strategic planning capabilities required of a university and stated that Waterford had all of those, along with an attractive and suitable campus environment and a secure asset base to permit future development.

In the wake of what has happened in Waterford city and the recent Government decisions, one being to locate the headquarters of the VEC in Wexford rather than Waterford city which has caused dismay, there is a need for the Government to accelerate this issue. It has talked about a multi-campus technological university and the Minister for Education and Skills has spoken about this recently. The question is what would that mean? The Minister spoke about the creation of a new technological university status which would complement our existing universities in meeting the full range of needs of students and the wider society.

The reason we are seeking a university is that the south east has been operating with one hand tied behind its back for far too long. Waterford city is the only gateway city without a university while the south east region has the critical mass of a population of almost 500,000. While I accept the Minister is looking at a multi-campus technological university the question the people in Waterford will ask is whether that will put Waterford into the top tier of university provision? The Minister ruled out the application made by Waterford Institute of Technology for simple designation and referred to comparisons with polytechnics in the UK. The major fear is that while some move might be made for Waterford, other ITs across the State might get a similar lift and then it will not be what the people of Waterford are seeking.

The issues around the application centre on funding. A university brings in more funding especially in the areas of research and development. Branding is important but not just in terms of a name change. There is no point in simply calling Waterford Institute of Technology a technological university if it is simply a beefed up institute of technology. It must be a fully fledged university that has the capabilities to meet the needs of the people of the south east. It is important in any future decisions that are made that Waterford Institute of Technology - hopefully it will be a university - will have the same autonomy as the nine other universities in the State.

Not all of the opposition from outside Waterford to Waterford Institute of Technology being made a university is political. Opposition is also coming from the other nine universities. University politics has been at the heart of much of what has happened in regard to this issue for far too long. That is why I welcome the Minister's commitment to at least look at this issue and examine the possibility of a technological university. I see that as a step forward. However, the critical issue is one of equality in that Waterford and the south east should be on a par with every other region in the country. We cannot continue to limp along, playing second fiddle to all the other regions, trying to compete with regions which have universities, including the educational hub and opportunities for research and development which Waterford city does not have.

I mentioned the decision in regard to the VEC amalgamation. Many would have seen the decision to place the headquarters in Wexford rather than Waterford as political. In addition, IDA Ireland regional offices were moved out of Waterford city to Cork and elsewhere. To many in Waterford it appears that the State agencies and Departments have consistently let Waterford down. One thing that could be done quickly is to approve the application by Waterford Institute of Technology for a university to meet the needs of the people of Waterford, the business community, and the students who want to avail of university qualifications in their own city without the necessity to travel.

I spoke recently with Dr. Mark Rowe, chair of the Friends of the University of the South East. He is quite supportive of the idea of a technological university but will await the detail and see what emerges from the Government. He mentioned the brain drain from Waterford and the south east. That is, perhaps, one of the reasons we cannot compete for the jobs to enable Waterford city to function as the key economic driver of the region.

The national spatial strategy designated Waterford as the gateway city because Waterford should be the capital of the region. A strong economic performance from Waterford will result in a stronger region and Waterford city has to be the economic engine of the south east. Unfortunately, it is not being given the capacity by State agencies or by the previous Government and others to enable it reach its potential. There is huge potential in Waterford and it can be unlocked if the right decisions are made by the Government. I hope this will be the right decision. What action has been taken since the Minister for Education and Skills announced he would accelerate this issue and what are his future plans? When will Waterford hear a positive announcement from the Government that will lift the mood of the people in Waterford and the south east?