Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Senator for raising these matters with me and indeed for doing so consistently over recent weeks and months. Certainly, a week has not gone by when we have not engaged on this at least two or three times and I thank him for his commitment. We have a shared desire to rectify a wrong whereby the south east is the only region in our country not to have a university. The lack of that university presence has had real impact on foreign direct investment and the ability to access in the region every part of the national framework of qualifications. I join the Senator in praising Waterford Institute of Technology and IT Carlow. The figures relating to WIT which he put on the record speak for themselves. It is an incredible institution and one I am very proud of. While we are moving to a new era and it is one of excitement, we do that out of respect for and a desire to build on the success of WIT.

The establishment of a technological university for the south east is an urgent priority of the programme for Government. Indeed, it is the only technological university named in the programme for Government, such is the importance we attach to it. It will address the significant and glaring gap in the south-east region which I referred to. I really believe a technological university will bring considerable opportunities to Waterford city and county and to the entire south east to increase foreign direct investment, capital investment, research funding and international recognition. Even more than that, it can be a catalyst for regeneration, innovation and regional development.

I was somewhat bemused to see people mocking my geography recently when I talked about how it would be brilliant if students from counties Wicklow, Laois or others, instead of having always to look to Dublin, could decide to go to Waterford and spend their euro there, invest there and set up a family there. This is what we want for Waterford and the south east. We need to get rid of the silly mentality that all roads must lead to Dublin, which is exactly what I was trying to talk about, though some people decided purposely to misunderstand.

Students, staff, enterprise and the wider community are going to be able, for the very first time, to avail of the opportunity provided by a university within their own region.A lot of progress has been made by the technological university for the south east, TUSE, consortium of Waterford Institute of Technology and IT Carlow. My understanding is that the consortium aims to submit an application for technological university, TU, designation under the prescribed legislation by 28 April, which is soon. It is important to appreciate that we cannot count our chickens before they have hatched because the application will have to be evaluated by an independent international panel with a view to recommending whether to confer technological university status. Should that application lead to TU designation, there is a prescribed process under section 55 of the Technological Universities Act 2018 for the establishment of its first governing body, about which the Senator asked me. In addition to a TU president, this body comprises a chairperson, two external members and one member appointed by the relevant education and training boards in accordance with their own processes. Further appointments will be made within six months, following elections and an additional appointment process for external members.

I will turn to recent speculation about the location of a headquarters for the new TU. I stress that it is nothing more than idle speculation. The factual position is that no decision has been made on a headquarters and anyone stating otherwise or claiming it will be in one location is doing so baselessly. This speculation is uninformed and lacks a proper understanding of how a regional technological university with a strong multi-campus footprint will operate. The TU will have a distributed leadership led by the incoming president. There will be strong, hands-on and practical leadership. Universities are places of engagement between students, researchers, staff, enterprise and the wider community. Commentary regarding Kilkenny in recent weeks is misleading. I am not aware of any such plans for a headquarters in Kilkenny. Such conjecture, at this critical stage in the development process or, indeed, at any stage, is divisive and counterproductive. TUs can only come into being in the first place and prosper thereafter if all parties come together and work together. At this critical time, our concentration must be on getting the application in and over the line.

I will also speak about capital investment. The Senator has talked to me about a site on the Cork road. I want to see the footprint in Waterford expanded and capital will be forthcoming to facilitate that. Normal business plans and appraisal processes need to be gone through. This is an opportunity to significantly expand the footprint in Waterford. That will include more students and investment, and a wider availability of courses. That is what I want to see for Waterford and the new technological university for the south east.