Cummins welcomes Tánaiste’s comments favouring Waterford City as site for new university HQ

Comments from the Tánaiste that he is strongly of the view that the Technological University for the South East should be centred in Waterford is positive news for the county, Fine Gael Senator John Cummins has said.

Speaking in the Dáil today, Fine Gael Leader and Tánaiste Leo Varadkar said he was a great supporter of a technological university for the south east and strongly of the view that the proposed technological university for the south east should be centred in Waterford city and some available sites there should be used to expand the university further.

Senator Cummins said: “Comments from the Tánaiste today are a further endorsement to have this much anticipated university headquartered in Waterford, which would be a positive development both for the county and the region.

“I have been in constant dialogue with the Tánaiste and Minister for Higher Education, Simon Harris, in relation to this vitally important issue for Waterford and the South East.

“There has been anxiety amongst staff at Waterford Institute of Technology following speculation that Kilkenny was being actively considered as the location of the HQ of the new South East TU.

“The expansion of the Waterford campus in the context of the new TUSE is a high priority of mine and I know it is a priority of Minister Harris and Tánaiste.

“I understand a formal request will be made by the governing board of Waterford Institute of Technology at the end of the month to purchase a significant portion of the former Waterford Crystal site which has been lying idle and derelict for quite some time. I expect such a request to be supported by the Department of Further and Higher Education.

“A huge amount of work has been ongoing by stakeholders in recent months to masterplan the site and I am very excited about its development and the prospect of having a university of international standing in our region,” Senator Cummins concluded.