Technological Universities

Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 21 September 2023

Thursday, 21 September 2023

Questions (70)

Verona Murphy

Question:

70. Deputy Verona Murphy asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science to detail the projected allocation of capital funding that will be made available to the SETU Wexford campus development plan to ensure the development of new buildings and delivery of additional courses and new disciplines, whilst also ensuring the provision of adequate student accommodation to cater for the planned new campus in Wexford; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40794/23]

Oral answers (6 contributions)

Deputy Verona Murphy

I ask the Minister to detail the projected allocation of capital funding that will be made available for the SETU Wexford campus development, and the plan to ensure the development of new buildings, the delivery of additional courses and new disciplines, while also ensuring the provision of adequate student accommodation at the new campus in Wexford.

Deputy Simon Harris

I thank Deputy Murphy for raising this issue with me, as she does regularly. I think she is also a former student of the Wexford campus. I am delighted that we now have a South East Technological University, SETU. It is key. We have given a very clear commitment that, as part of that, there has to be a real and meaningful campus in Wexford. They are not just my words, though they are mine too. They are also a very clear commitment in the strategic plan being published by the South East Technological University. I know from talking to the president of the university, Professor Veronica Campbell, and the chair of the university who happens to hail from Wexford, Professor Paddy Prendergast, that they want to see this happen as well.

I am strongly committed to the development of a high-quality campus environment in Wexford for the South East Technological University. I am aware that it has been a long-term ambition to secure a suitable, permanent campus in Wexford to facilitate higher education progression and integration in the south east. I have also met students in Wexford, particularly students in lifelong learning, who tell me they would not have been able to access third level education were it not for the Wexford campus.

Imagine how much more we could do if we had a fit-for-purpose modern campus.

As the Deputy knows, the South East Technological University, SETU, has, in recent years, been working closely with Wexford County Council to help to identify an appropriate site for a permanent home for its Wexford campus. As part of this engagement, a preferred site, which is well known locally, was identified. Following a very lengthy negotiation process, agreement could not be reached on price and the council is now progressing the acquisition of the site by way of a compulsory purchase order, CPO. The process is ongoing and has been for a long time but it is almost there. I expect to hear a positive update next month and I will keep the Deputy informed in that regard.

My Department and the Higher Education Authority are engaging with the SETU about how it wishes to advance a number of capital projects across its campuses, including the Wexford campus. As the Deputy will appreciate, I am not in a position to say the budget for the Wexford campus will be a certain amount because that is not how we fund these things. We identify projects and they go out to tender. I can say that we are not in the business of spending a lot of money to buy a major site only to leave it idle. I will work hand in glove with the SETU to make this a campus with a real ambition in its scale.

Deputy Verona Murphy

I thank the Minister. Fifty-five acres is a substantial area for the new Wexford campus. I spoke recently with Professor Veronica Campbell, as the Minister mentioned. I believe she is looking for €7 million to progress the SETU planning application. I heard the Minister say to Deputy Mairéad Farrell that he had allocated €1 million to further applications. Perhaps I have that wrong and the Minister might have been referring only to student accommodation.

Wexford is very close to my heart, apart from the fact that I represent the constituency. The campus itself needs to grow hugely. There are approximately 1,100 students currently on the campus but there are no science, technology, engineering or mathematics, STEM, courses attached. Wexford has been left behind when it comes to foreign direct investment and one of the reasons for that is we do not have immediate access to a research unit. That is what I have been told by certain investors and IDA Ireland. We need to grow the campus with STEM courses.

Deputy Simon Harris

I assure the Deputy that the reference I made to €1 million was in respect of money given to the technological universities for planning for student accommodation. We have a much larger capital budget available. In fact, we have a new fund, the technological sector strategic projects fund, TSSPF. That fund will be available to Professor Campbell and others to take forward projects, including the project at the Wexford campus.

The Deputy is right about the issue of research. One of the big game-changers for technological universities is access to education in the regions but also that research function and the ability to collaborate with industry. I too hear from business leaders, IDA Ireland and others that it is key to securing successful foreign direct investment, which I know is a key ask and issue for the people of Wexford.

Sequentially, what we need to do is to secure the site and allow the CPO process to conclude. We need that to conclude with a degree of urgency and haste. I will then be working very closely with the SETU on its master plan for the Wexford campus. It is a matter for it to determine which courses it wishes to provide on which campus but I will work closely with its representatives.

Deputy Verona Murphy

Rosslare Europort has today been named port of the year in Malmö, Sweden. I congratulate those involved. I am glad to have played my part. A young scientist, biochemical engineer or something of that nature from Waterford is doing research in my village of Ramsgrange. A local farmer has given him land to carry out research on carbon capturing. That is a Waterford chap working in County Wexford. We must have the capacity to combine with the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications and the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, both of which are situated in Wexford. It makes absolute sense that the new campus in Wexford would facilitate a research centre and STEM courses. That is primary. I know the capital infrastructure purportedly available for the SETU is in the region of €300 million, or at least that was the ask and I can see that is the need. When will it happen? Delivery is paramount. We cannot tell farmers in ten years' time that what we were telling them today is wrong. We need this research and we need it now.

Deputy Simon Harris

I agree with the Deputy's last point. I am fed up with the lecturing tone that is taken to farmers. They know better than most about the climate. They are out on their farms while we are talking about it in the Dáil. They can see the changes and want sustainability, as I heard at the National Ploughing Championships. Research is our friend as we seek to come up with innovative approaches. We are funding a number of research projects through Science Foundation Ireland. The Deputy is right that the technological universities are well placed to further accelerate that and to work in partnership with farmers. We need food and agriculture so we must consider how to do it in a sustainable way. I agree fully with the Deputy in that regard. I also congratulate Rosslare Europort.

We should take a step back and note we did not have a university in the south east not long ago and we now do. Many people, though not the Deputy, doubted we would ever get a university in the south east and we now have one. It is going pretty well. It is going well in respect of the leadership and the scale of ambition. It is going well in that the number of applications through the CAO was up this year compared with last year. However, I also fully accept that for the university to reach its full potential, it needs major capital investment, including a fit-for-purpose Wexford campus with student accommodation. Those are my next two priorities. I will focus on capital investment, the Waterford Crystal site, the Wexford campus site, the potential for a veterinary college and student accommodation. I will keep in touch with the Deputy on those matters.