Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 15 December 2020
122. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the status of a technological university for the south-east; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42535/20]
View answerFollowing the appointment of a new programme executive director in July 2020, there has been significant progress in advancing the project by Carlow and Waterford Institutes of Technology, as the TUSEI development consortium, to develop a technological university (TU) for the South East.
I met and was updated by the Institutes’ presidents and governing body chairpersons on 28 October and, in turn, I updated the Cabinet earlier this month on the development of the TUSEI project plan. This overarching plan is the culmination of activity by 8 work streams, 33 working groups and some 300 members comprising staff, students and stakeholders across both Institutes and the wider region.
The Department is engaged with the consortium in monitoring progress on the project plan in the period up to the submission of an application under the legislative procedures set out in the Technological Universities Act 2018. The Department understands that an application for TU designation under the Technological Universities Act 2018 is aimed to be submitted by the consortium in April or May of 2021.
On 7 October I announced the first funding allocation of €34.3 million under the Technological University Transformation Fund to assist consortia seeking to achieve TU designation, and established TUs, in their development. The Fund will provide €90 million in funding to 2023. In this first funding tranche the TUSEI consortium was allocated €5.1 million, bringing total Exchequer funding of the project to date to €8.8 million. Government has provided significant support, and continues to support the TUSEI consortium at all stages of the TU development process.
