Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 18 January 2024
88. Deputy Cathal Crowe asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if he will provide an update on the development of new campus facilities for the Technological University of the Shannon at Coonagh, Limerick; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1992/24]
View answerI’m very pleased to advise the Deputy, that substantial completion of the project at Coonagh will be substantially completed in February 2024, with students due on campus later this year. This represents over €24m in capital funding from my Department.
The Technological University of the Shannon Coonagh, Limerick project was approved for the fit-out of an existing building in Coonagh, Limerick, initially developed for use as a shopping centre, but now being repurposed by TUS for education use. This will facilitate the move of TUS’s Limerick engineering facilities to the new campus. When complete the Coonagh campus will facilitate an expansion of engineering education and research, with an emphasis on increasing apprenticeship provision.
The new engineering campus will facilitate significant growth in student numbers in engineering disciplines. This will create a centre for manufacturing engineering and other engineering activities in the region. It will also improve TUS’s teaching, learning and social learning spaces and allow for new engineering related programmes, particularly the growing apprentice areas.
The development of the engineering campus in Coonagh also frees up space at the Moylish campus to facilitate the development of a new Applied Science and IT building currently under tender as part of the Higher Education PPP Programme Bundle 2.
