David Cullinane (Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I make a direct appeal, on behalf of the people of Waterford and the south east, to the Minister of State and the Government to expedite the placement of a university in the region. We have had a long-running campaign for a university for the south east, jumping over all the hurdles and through all the hoops over the years. Numerous reports, including the Hunt report, have been favourably disposed to Waterford Institute of Technology becoming a university for the south east.

The region has one of the highest unemployment rates in the country at 19%, which is 5% above the national average. We have a real crisis of unemployment, as well as underemployment, in the south east. There is a real danger of Waterford city and county councils being forced to amalgamate which will, in turn, downgrade the gateway and city status of Waterford. It is critically important the Government makes the right decisions for Waterford and the south east on all of these issues.

The Minister and the Higher Education Authority, HEA, commissioned an expert group to examine higher education. Its report, which has been leaked, recommends a national university with a campus to be based in both Dublin and Waterford. It is important the Minister does not let this report sit on the shelf but publishes it in order that we can all examine the proposals about the national university, as well as the impact it may have on Waterford. We do not just want a name change but a university that has the capital, finance, autonomy and the ability to meet the needs of the south east. In a recent jobs announcement in Limerick, the company involved said one reason it chose the location was because of the university there. We see jobs announced for Dublin, Cork and Galway but precious little for Waterford. It makes sense to the people there that they are disadvantaged because they do not have a university. The previous Government failed to deliver a university for Waterford. The Government has the opportunity to deliver on this not just for the people of Waterford but for the people of the south east.