Garret Ahearn (Fine Gael)
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I thank the Minister of State for coming to the Chamber. This is technically a Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science issue, but this project incorporates the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage as well.

Kickham Barracks was closed in 2014 and since then a plan has been put forward by Tipperary County Council to revitalise the town of Clonmel. Kickham Barracks plays a key role in that. It was successful in its first phase of funding, which will be completed in the next month. That is the open plaza area connecting the Showgrounds Shopping Centre to Parnell Street. It is looking fantastic and, once opened and all the lights are on, it will be a wonderful amenity.

The council put together an ambitious €50 million plan under the urban regeneration and development fund, URDF, a year ago. My colleague, Councillor Michael Murphy, was influential in pushing that forward with the council. Last year, that application was unsuccessful. Some Oireachtas colleagues said it was a disaster and a waste of time. One Government Deputy blamed the application and said it was not up to standard. None of that was true. The main reason the application was not successful, rightly so from the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage was that there is a major educational development on the campus of Kickham Barracks and the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science needs to play a role in financing it.

In the last year, I have been dealing with the Minister, Deputy Harris. He has been in Kickham Barracks, as have the Minister of State present, the Taoiseach, the Tánaiste, the Minister, Deputy McEntee, and the Minister, Deputy Coveney. We have had almost every senior and influential Minister visit the barracks in the last year. We have outlined what we have tried to do to get the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science to support it.

An application has been put forward by Tipperary Education and Training Board, ETB, in collaboration with the Technological University of the Shannon, TUS, to build a giant campus for higher and further education. The Minister, Deputy Harris, has been talking for as long as he has been Minister for higher education about changing the stigma between further education and higher education and creating joint campuses so students are together, whether they are in higher or further education.

Kickham Barracks and a similar site in Mullingar are perfect examples of what we are trying to create in terms of joint campuses on one site. This has the ability to revitalise the town but we need funding from the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science. It is in a process at the moment. I know many applications have gone in. I think there are about 30 applications across the country. Few will be successful but this is a massive priority for a town that is very dependent on foreign direct investment and lucky with the type of jobs and job creation we have. However, an area of the town, particularly the town centre, needs to be revitalised. Kickham Barracks plays a key role in that.

The funding the Minister of State and his Department provided a number of years ago and that the former Minister, Eoghan Murphy, committed to was the first phase of that. It would be an awful shame if the first phase was completed and nothing happened after that. We have a new sports hub on the Clonmel bypass. TUS is meant to come in to Kickham Barracks from where that sports hub is to be built but we need to get this over the line. It is a multimillion euro investment from the Department of higher education, if it is willing to commit to it. My fear is the applications are opening soon for the URDF funding and we need this money in before we can apply for that.

Peter Burke (Longford-Westmeath, Fine Gael)
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I thank Senator Ahearn for raising this important matter again. I had the pleasure of visiting Kickham Barracks and the site and know the huge work being done there. As the Senator said, almost all the Cabinet were down to see it and I have no doubt that will bear fruit in the future. The Minister, Deputy Harris, was eager to be here to respond directly but, unfortunately, had to attend Cabinet.

The proposed development of a joint college campus between Tipperary ETB and TUS on the site of Kickham Barracks, Clonmel, is something I know the Senator has been pursuing for a significant period, including with the visit of the Minister, Deputy Harris, to Carrick-on-Suir. At the heart of the proposal is collaboration between TUS and Tipperary ETB. This is also at the heart of the agenda the Minister is pursuing. A more unified tertiary system is essential if we are to meet the needs of learners, as well as of the economy and greater society.

Earlier this year, Tipperary ETB made an application to the further education and training, FET, college of the future major projects fund to develop an integrated tertiary FET-higher education campus in collaboration with TUS on the Kickham Barracks site in Clonmel town. The Clonmel barracks connected campus is part of a wider network of integrated Tipperary ETB FET locations and is a sister project to a similar connected campus initiative with TUS in Thurles. TUS is collaborating with Tipperary ETB on a proposal for a shared campus in Thurles. This is being led by TUS, which has made an application under the technological sector strategic projects fund.

The Senator will appreciate that the Minister, Deputy Harris, cannot go into further detail at this time, given the status of the technological sector strategic projects fund and FET college of the future major projects fund processes. However, the Minister can assure him that this is a very important issue for the Department and it is keen to move matters forward as quickly as possible. Evaluation reports have been submitted to the Department and the Minister hopes to be in a position shortly to announce the outcomes of both processes. It is important that the Department balances strategic objectives for the development of TUS and the wider tertiary with ensuring value for money.

I trust this update will provide reassurance to the Senator that support for TUS projects continues to be a key priority for the Minister, Deputy Harris, and his Department. The Minister looks forward to updating the Senator directly on developments in due course.

Garret Ahearn (Fine Gael)
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I thank the Minister of State for his response. He is right that the Minister, Deputy Harris, has been to the fore and supportive of the proposal put forward by Tipperary County Council. It is about making sure the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science steps up and gives the funding it needs to give. That is what the Minister of State's Department requested us to do. I do not know if the Minister of State has a date for when the URDF applications will be open. Will the Minister of State's Department, as he and the Tánaiste have said previously, look at this application more favourably, considering that a multi-euro development on Kickham Barracks would happen if the Minister, Deputy Harris, commits to that project? A year ago, it was a €50 million development of Clonmel town. That would be reduced to the low €30 million application put forward if this was successful with the Minister, Deputy Harris. We are doing the stages requested and I hope this is successful in the coming weeks. It needs to be done as quickly as possible. I am delighted the Minister of State is here because once we are successful in that, please God, then I willl come to him for €30-plus million afterwards.

Mark Wall (Labour)
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Well said, Senator Ahearn.

Peter Burke (Longford-Westmeath, Fine Gael)
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I thank the Senator for putting that passionate and detailed case in relation to Kickham Barracks. It is an excellent site, as I said when I visited. URDF is due to open again shortly. That is a competitive process but we supported that project in the past.One of the key matters arising from the first successful call and, in particular, the last call that was unsuccessful was that we responded to the issues with the Senator and his team by bringing more Departments to the table and getting an anchor tenant and a rounded process for the site. The Senator provided everything the Department asked for throughout the URDF process. We will be very keen to see an application coming in and will work with the local authority and the Senator in that regard.