Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 21 September 2023
75. Deputy Marc Ó Cathasaigh asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science to report on his engagements with the management at SETU in relation to the university-enterprise quarter planned for the Waterford Crystal site; when it can be expected to see detailed capital plans for the development of the site; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40035/23]
View answerI have the South East Technological University's, SETU, strategic plan for 2023 to 2028 in front of me. There are ten individual references in that plan to the enterprise quarter, which was being co-developed on the old Waterford Crystal site, as the Minister knows. What engagements has the Minister had with SETU about the development of that enterprise quarter? When can we expect to see detailed capital plans? It is all well and good to have the physical site available but we need to build on it.
I thank Deputy Ó Cathasaigh for raising this question and for his ongoing engagement with me regarding South East Technological University and indeed the Waterford Crystal site. I hear a little mischief-making now and again. We are absolutely and fully committed to the Waterford Crystal site being purchased by South East Technological University. A huge amount of work has been undertaken by the university since the Deputy and I, and others, were there to announce the decision to acquire that site. I reassure the Deputy and the people of Waterford about that.
On 27 March, as the Deputy knows, my Department gave approval, subject to the required due diligence that has to be carried out, for South East Technological University to expand its presence in Waterford by agreeing to accept the vendor's final reduced asking price for a 20.3 acre portion of a 37 acre Waterford Crystal site. SETU is in the process of conducting that required due diligence on the site. Once that is completed to its satisfaction, it then goes to its governing authority for the formal proposal. Following those governance requirements, it then comes back to the Higher Education Authority and me.
We are excited about this for all the reasons the Deputy says. It is a significant milestone in the development of South East Technological University. Some in Waterford tried to say we would never get a university. We now have one. Some said we would never get the Waterford Crystal site. We now do. The purchase of that site does, and I think this is the nub of the Deputy's questions, provide significant opportunities for the development and creation of a real enterprise quarter in Waterford that will, of course, benefit the university, but in my view, the benefits will go well beyond that. It will provide an opportunity to collaborate with industry and research, to the benefit of the whole city, county and region.
The location of the site and the existing Cork Road campus will enable the university to consolidate much of its Waterford activities into this single city centre location. The purchase of the site also satisfies a number of wider local and regional objectives through the reusing and repurposing of a prominent brownfield site in the city. It brings that old site back into use. This will allow SETU to cater for future student growth and allow the university to be a driver of economic and social development. As the Deputy knows, the process of what goes on the site will need to come from the governing authority of the university. We are not in the business of acquiring sites to leave them idle. Once this is fully acquired, we will be eager to make progress on that.
I thank the Minister. I know he has a very developed understanding of just how totemic and important that site is for telling the tale of Waterford and for the rejuvenation and revitalisation of Waterford. It is extremely important that we see this site signed, sealed and delivered. We will then begin to see serious capital investment flowing on it. We want to see things like student accommodation available on-site within SETU, on the Waterford campus. We have a proven track record of same. It is an interesting proposition to have the private part of the site working in tandem with SETU. I absolutely agree with the Minister about where the site is located in Waterford city. It sits between Ballybeg, Larchville and Lisduggan. We will now bring the site in towards Hennessy's Road, right in towards the centre of the city. It is of critical importance to the city. We need to put an end to that mischief-making, get it over the line, have it signed, sealed and delivered, and move on with what else is in the capital plan.
That is entirely right. I was talking to the South East Technological University team yesterday at the National Ploughing Championships. I know they are extraordinarily eager to advance the issue of student accommodation. I have had excellent conversations with Professor Campbell about that. Waterford is particularly well placed. We want all our technological universities to develop student accommodation. Of course, they have done it before in Waterford. Historically, it was done with the Waterford Institute of Technology project too. Professor Campbell and others will now benefit from the fact that there is a €1 million fund available to prepare student accommodation plans. There is also a standardised design process that the Minister, Deputy Darragh O'Brien, and I will complete, which brings a lot of sense to planning as well as speed to be able to turn projects around. The next step, from my perspective, is the governing authority meeting in due course to finally approve the proposal, having gone through its due diligence. I will then look to meet South East Technological University. I am happy to meet it with Waterford Deputies to talk about the next steps for the site and how my Department and perhaps other Departments can be helpful in creating that enterprise quarter, which this site provides us with an opportunity to do.
I referred to the fact that it is referenced on ten specific occasions in the strategic plan. Strategic objective 3.1 is to "Establish the new and dynamic University-Enterprise Quarter on the Waterford Crystal site as a focal point for the SE Innovation Region." It is of critical importance. I will cast the net a little wider, since I have the opportunity. Enabler A in the strategic plan is to complete a "masterplan for SETU for the coming two decades and deliver new physical infrastructure to sustain and increase our growth in student numbers and research activity".
It mentions the Waterford Crystal site and the acquisition and proceeding to design and delivery of a 10,000 sq. m academic building. It also references something we have been waiting on for a long time, namely, the engineering building, which will be an ICT general teaching building on the Waterford campus. Section 13.1.7 of the plan refers to an additional 10,000 sq. m to support expansion associated with additional research activity and, critically, section 13.1.8 references the refurbishment of 20,000 sq. m of current infrastructure. That ongoing investment to keep the infrastructure we have fit for purpose is a critical piece of the jigsaw.
I agree. As it is a sensitive moment with regard to that public private partnership, PPP, bundle, I will be limited in what I will say. I expect to be in a position to bring finality and clarity to that very shortly. I know how much the new engineering, computing and general teaching building that is planned for SETU in Waterford has been anticipated for a very long time. I accept there have been very many false dawns over the years but the building will add significant capacity to the campus to help increased demand. It is almost 13,000 sq. m and is the largest of all the projects in that PPP bundle. It is expected to add space for in excess of 1,000 students. I know very well the importance of it. I will keep in touch with the Deputy on that.
I am also very eager to make progress on the existing estate as regards our higher education energy efficiency and decarbonisation pathfinder programme. Two projects at SETU have been approved to advance through that pathfinder programme. These are a deep fabric retrofit to the business school at SETU Waterford and a medium retrofit with a high-temperature, air source heat pump to the Burrin building at SETU Carlow. Both those projects have received approval.
