David Cullinane (Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the Minister to the House. I have raised this issue with her previously. The last time we discussed it was a couple of months before the Christmas recess in the aftermath of Waterford Institute of Technology, WIT's withdrawal from the process of developing a technological university for the south east via the planned merger with Carlow Institute of Technology.

Waterford is the only major city across the island that does not have a university. The south east is the only region without a university. It is important for the people and economy of the region that this problem be solved once and for all. The Government gave a commitment to deliver on this issue, but the process is stalled and in trouble. The Department and the Minister do not understand the seriousness of the impasse following WIT's withdrawal. The institute seems stubborn in its analysis of the merger as not being realistic or workable. The Minister has appointed Mr. Michael Kelly to resolve the issue.

My question has three elements. I hope that Mr. Kelly considers all of the options, the first of which is to continue with the merger, the second of which is to consider a new configuration of the two institutes - new possibilities may have opened up in that regard - and the third is for WIT to go it alone. Is Mr. Kelly considering all of these options or is he simply sticking with the Government's plan, namely, the merger of Carlow IT and WIT? If this plan is not a runner for all of the players involved, what is plan B?