Malcolm Byrne (Wicklow-Wexford, Fianna Fail)
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1717. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills to provide an update on the development of the Wexford campus of South East Technological University. [1482/25]

Patrick O'Donovan (Limerick County, Fine Gael)
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Over the last number of years, SETU have been working closely with Wexford County Council (WCC) to help identify an appropriate site for a permanent home for their Wexford Campus. As part of this engagement, a preferred site was identified. Following a lengthy negotiation process between WCC and the Vendor, agreement could not be reached on price. WCC have progressed the acquisition of the site by way of compulsory purchase order (CPO).

The intention is that a proportion of this site will be used to facilitate a new Wexford Campus for SETU with the reminder of the site being developed by WCC.

The acquisition has significantly progressed with WCC having successfully moved to the final stages of the CPO process.

In parallel to the ongoing statutory CPO acquisition process, which is being led by Wexford County Council, the HEA is considering the Business Case for the development of the proposed site and the evaluation of same is expected to take place in Q1 2025. Once the business case is approved, it will feed into the overall masterplan currently being prepared by WCC for the subject lands.

I am aware that it has been a long-term ambition of SETU to secure a suitable permanent campus site in Wexford to facilitate higher education progression and integration in the South East, and I remain fully supportive of this ambition.