University issue: Full-page open letter to Taoiseach in today's Times

fricatus

Anyone see the full-page ad in support of the university on page 8 of today's Irish Times?

It's in the form of an open letter to the Taoiseach, but it's signed by some real heavy-hitters: Tony O'Reilly, Ed Walsh of UL, Sen. Maurice Hayes, Bishops William Lee and Michael Burrows, the artist Pauline Bewick, numerous heads of business, plus sporting figures: John Delaney, John O'Shea, Henry Shefflin, Brick Walsh and Ken McGrath.

Impressive stuff... they can hardly continue to ignore the clamour, surely?

mike65

I heard about that, anyone scan or photo it? It feels like its a bit out of the blue.

Mike.

Maharet

This has been in the works for a while all right, timed to coincide with the run to dublin in support of the issue.

The letter:

Dear Taoiseach,

The debate as to whether the South East should have a university has dragged on too long.

We, the undersigned, as business leaders and people who have been active in public life in this country for many years, call on you as leader of the Government to give the South East the university it deserves. This decision will positively affect the future prosperity of every student, every worker and every employer in the region and beyond.

The recently published Port Report, commissioned by your own Department of Education and Science, confirms that WIT has the academic maturity, activity profile and the appropriate governance and strategic capability required for a university.

The Port Report further states that "it is widely accepted internationally that the presence of a university in a region has a powerful effect on the cultural, social and economic performance of the region."

This is not only an academic debate. This a strategic issue vital to the future of a whole region and to a very large segment of the national population. Forfás has confirmed that the South East Region is currently failing to retain its best qualified young people who are being lost to universities and employers outside the region. The South East Region also has the lowest disposable income per capita in the country. The region has an over-reliance on construction, traditional manufacturing and agriculture.

The Government's stated policy is to encourage knowledge-based employment. The Government has decided that Waterford is a Gateway City and must now underpin this by designating WIT as a university. Without this vital designation, the South East will fail to attract and retain knowledge-based industry in the region.

A university in the South East would be good for the region and good for the country. It would help boost economic development and would make university education more accessible.

We urgently and expectantly await your response.

Dr Ed Walsh, Founding President, UL; Sir Anthony O'Reilly, Chairman, Waterford Wedgewood plc; Gerard Barrett, Edward Holdings; Redmond O'Donoghue, Chairman, WIT Governing Body; John Ronan, Treasury Holdings; Philip Lynch, Chief Executive, One51 plc; Barry O'Callaghan, Executive Chairman & CEO, Riverdeep; John Bowen, Chairman & CEO, Bowen Construction Ltd; Most Rev William Lee DD, Bishop of Waterford & Lismore; Dr Maurice Hayes, Former Northern Ireland Ombudsman & Former Senator; Angela Kerins, CEO, Rehab Group; Anne Deegan, Managing Director, SEI Investments; Peter Goulandris, Deputy Chairman, Waterfood Wedgewood plc; John O'Shea, Republic of Ireland & Manchester United; Michael Walsh, Captain Waterford Senior Hurling Team; John Delaney, Chief Executive, FAI; Henry Shefflin, Kilkenny Hurler & All Star; Ken McGrath, Waterford Hurler & All Star; Professor Ged Martin, Emeritus Professor, University of Edinburgh; Michael Burrows, Bishop of Cashel & Ossory; Professor Tomás Ó Cathasaigh, Chair of Irish Studies, Harvard University; John Foley, CEO, Waterford Crystal Ltd; Dominic Carolan, General Manager, Genzyme Ireland Ltd; Frank O'Regan, European VP - Operations Global Contact Lens, Bausch & Lomb; Dan Browne, Director, Dawn Meats Group; Jim Power, Chief Economist, Friends First; Right Rev Michael G. Olden, President Emeritus of Maynooth University; Ned Sullivan; Brian Sweeney, Chairman, Siemens Ireland; Pauline Bewick, Artist, RHA, Aosdána; Desmond Miller, Company Director & Former Partner, KPMG; Dr Mark Walsh, Chairman, Irish College of General Practitioners.

cc Minister Mary Hanafin

Typed as in Irish Times, any typos are mine!

mike65

Cheers for that typing

Some of those names carry more weight than others its fair to say.

Mike.

Maharet

mike65 wrote: »

Cheers for that typing

Some of those names carry more weight than others its fair to say.

Mike.

No bother, indeed, hopefully it'll have a significant impact!

invincibleirish

Saw this in the Times & Examiner today, bit OTT to be honest, Waterford we know you dont have a university & everywhere else has,so what? you do realise this attitude of if they have something then we must have it too, this kind of green eyed monster attitude has fvcked this country for years!

mike65

Ah right so Cork are not angling for a second university then?

Mike.

AdMMM

invincibleirish wrote: »

Saw this in the Times & Examiner today, bit OTT to be honest, Waterford we know you dont have a university & everywhere else has,so what? you do realise this attitude of if they have something then we must have it too, this kind of green eyed monster attitude has fvcked this country for years!

Just wow.

I have no problem with people coming on here and saying we don't deserve a university as long as they're backing up their comments with solid references to statistics/reputable sources, but a snide comment like yours just begs the question; did you even read the names who signed it? Also am I mistaken in thinking that Cork want another university? Please think before you post.

decies

Listen cork boy waterford and the southeast in general are the forgotton part of the country while all the huge clout those cork tds were having in goverment,delivered for cork.That michael martin character never did waterford any good especially in his health portfollia.So yes we do need a university to give ourselves and the region an economic boost.lesson over.:mad::mad::mad:

Daysha

invincibleirish wrote: »

Saw this in the Times & Examiner today, bit OTT to be honest, Waterford we know you dont have a university & everywhere else has,so what? you do realise this attitude of if they have something then we must have it too, this kind of green eyed monster attitude has fvcked this country for years!

Bit rich considering you live in the same county whose GAA players santioned an offical strike that affected the entire hurling and football league just because we all had something that you guys didn't, namely a fair county board!

invincibleirish

No offense but your reactions are again demonstrating my point, you want a reason why you should not have a university?go look in the media for your answers, 7 universities is enough. the current universities are already under funded, you have a decent Institute of Technology, why do you have to have a uni because every other place has?my original point was this is an example of gombeen politics and me fein culture, this is what messes this country up!

because im from Cork is inconsequential, if Waterford did not have any decent 3rd level institue then i might agree, but upgrading WIT to a University sounds like a vanity project to me, who the fvck cares if John O shea signed a letter?

Sully

You see, those points are so weak its bordering on trolling. Come up with a decent reason besides some random ****e.

Do you think Cork should get a second university?

invincibleirish

Im not trolling, im not interested in going into in depth debate merely because the argument has been better made elsewhere.i'll keep it simple do you not even concede the basic points i make? you are aware the 7 universities are facing funding shortfalls? do you not accept projects like this are not vital in times when the public finances are and will be dire?

look get rid of the fact im from Cork? it has feck all to do with it,my opinion is not any less valid just because im in a city that has an IT & a University, i pay tax, you pay tax, any money being spent on trying to establish WIT as university is better spent on actual universities or spent on ITs, CIT,DIT and TIT and every other IT in the country should be eligible for university status if WIT gets it, why are ye such a special case?

Maharet

WIT is different to the rest of the ITs as we are the only region without a university. This is not just about Waterford or the IT, this is about the entire South East region being without a university, read the letter again, its all there, exactly why the granting of a university in Waterford and by extension the whole region is so vital. We are the poorest region in Ireland, all we are looking for is our fair share, a chance to compete on a level playing field with the rest of the country. Our region has the approx the same population as Cork county, yet we have no university! There is more information here: http://www.se4u.org, especially relevant is the map, that will show you clearly the inequitable nature of the provision of university access in this country!

Freddie59

invincibleirish wrote: »

No offense but your reactions are again demonstrating my point, you want a reason why you should not have a university?go look in the media for your answers, 7 universities is enough. the current universities are already under funded, you have a decent Institute of Technology, why do you have to have a uni because every other place has?my original point was this is an example of gombeen politics and me fein culture, this is what messes this country up!

because im from Cork is inconsequential, if Waterford did not have any decent 3rd level institue then i might agree, but upgrading WIT to a University sounds like a vanity project to me, who the fvck cares if John O shea signed a letter?

Butty, you are a sad b@stard indeed. Did you voice the same objections when UL was being created? There is an entire region here without a University. Yet there are three universities within 140 miles of each other between Cork, Limerick, and Galway.

You are indeed trolling. It is attitudes like yours - not ours - that have held development and a fair slice of the cake back in this country for years. Is Cork that afraid of Waterford's development? Was it not Cork that threw a hissy fit - even though they already had a Uni - when WRTC was updated to IT status?

Baby4

This post has been deleted.

JohnC.

Why is it always Cork who do this? Back when WRTC was going to be made into WIT, to give the South East something intermediate due to lack of University, it was Cork RTC who led the cries of "but that's not fair we want it too." So every RTC got upgraded to IT, leaving the South East back at square one.

fricatus

Kahless wrote: »

Why is it always Cork who do this? Back when WRTC was going to be made into WIT, to give the South East something intermediate due to lack of University, it was Cork RTC who led the cries of "but that's not fair we want it too." So every RTC got upgraded to IT, leaving the South East back at square one.

I believe there's an agenda in Cork to be the capital not just of the current southern region (Cork and Kerry) but to be at the head of a larger region, whose template the historical Munster region fits perfectly.

The trouble is that there are two other cities in Munster that quite rightly fulfil a regional role: Limerick and Waterford. Limerick, for all its problems, is a very strong city that acts as a dynamo for a strong region, and my thinking is that Cork has lost the battle on that one, especially since UL came along.

Waterford has been cementing its regional role a lot more these past few years, especially with the new road developments around the city, and believe me, the Cork lobby sees this as a threat. Our port, and increasingly, our airport, are beginning to compete with Cork. For Waterford to have its own university, and not just be part of UCC's hinterland, is their worst nightmare...

Some people seem not to believe there even is a south-east region (see this post), so that's why it's vitally important that the entire south-east get behind this university drive. It was nice to see that the university relay run went to KK city and Carlow, since they're big stakeholders in this. Nice too, to see the signature of Kilkenny's Henry Shefflin at the bottom of that open letter.

I just hope the decision of the Taoiseach to resign doesn't put a spanner in the works of this whole drive. It certainly comes at a bad time for us. Maybe there's a positive though: when Cowen, as seems inevitable, moves into the role of Taoiseach, he will no doubt reshuffle, and maybe Hairy Manafin will no longer be in Education. If Micheal Martin is, we're in serious trouble!

invincibleirish

fricatus wrote: »

I believe there's an agenda in Cork to be the capital not just of the current southern region (Cork and Kerry) but to be at the head of a larger region

Ok Fox Mulder leave out with the conspiracy theories. again this focusing on where im from is driving ye lot crazy.if you want to turn this into a Waterford v Cork then grow up:rolleyes:.

you all conveniently ignore my points, namely money issues.

Invincibleirish- it is not simply a case of 'we want what everybody else has got'! Our region has a disadvantage in terms of infrastructure, education, commerce, investment & income per capita. I am almost ten years out of secondary school. I can safely say that over 3/4 of my secondary school class went out of this region, purely to go to University. They then stayed out of the region, as they got settled elsewhere.

Yes it is, Waterford isnt even a city by any means of the imagination, its population is only 100,000 FFS!, You have world class universities within several hours of you and a decent IT in your "city", this country has enough Universities! West Dublin deserves a Uni by your criteria, so does Donegal, Kerry, Tipp etc., you all have done LC geography and heard of primary & peripheral regions, not everywhere can have expensive world class infrastr
ucture,

I get the feeling in this Hornets nest this is merely another version of the Western Rail Corridor, that waste of money was commissioned with the same language i see being mentioned here, i've an idea, instead of a vanity project like this, why not ask your elected reps why money could have been better spent.

Lets start with this, instead of the shiny expensive M9 being built to Dublin (un needed going by potential traffic volumes) which could have been spent on Waterford itself in the Form of Tax breaks, Public transport, schools, WIT etc.

Bards

invincibleirish wrote: »

Ok Fox Mulder leave out with the conspiracy theories. again this focusing on where im from is driving ye lot crazy.if you want to turn this into a Waterford v Cork then grow up:rolleyes:.

you all conveniently ignore my points, namely money issues.




Yes it is, Waterford isnt even a city by any means of the imagination, its population is only 100,000 FFS!, You have world class universities within several hours of you and a decent IT in your "city", this country has enough Universities! West Dublin deserves a Uni by your criteria, so does Donegal, Kerry, Tipp etc., you all have done LC geography and heard of primary & peripheral regions, not everywhere can have expensive world class infrastr
ucture,

I get the feeling in this Hornets nest this is merely another version of the Western Rail Corridor, that waste of money was commissioned with the same language i see being mentioned here, i've an idea, instead of a vanity project like this, why not ask your elected reps why money could have been better spent.

Lets start with this, instead of the shiny expensive M9 being built to Dublin (un needed going by potential traffic volumes) which could have been spent on Waterford itself in the Form of Tax breaks, Public transport, schools, WIT etc.

Going by your own arguments no City on this Island has enough critical mass to justify Motorway links or Universities. Sure why don;t we just go to Englad instead:rolleyes:

But wait this is Ireland and by Irish standards Waterford and the S.E is a self sustainable region. WRH has even beendesignated as a Centre of Excellence for Cancer Care. 4 in Dublin and one each in Galway, Limerick, Cork & Waterford.

Why can't there be a University in Waterford with outreach campuses in Wexford & Kilkenny to cater for the 11 - 12% of the population of this republic in their own region. Why is it always the S.E that has to come last, and sacrifice for 'the greater good'.

Time has come to shout 'STOP'. The S.E deserves the same treatment as every other large region. the Mid-west is a smaller region (population terms) yet has access to the binary education system within the region.

Don't forget Cork got brand new €200m terminal building at their airport and now expects the exchequer to pick up the tab. How about Co. Cork pays for the terminal and the exchequer pays for the University of the S.E instead

mike65

Okay you are a troll, a city is a city is a city (except for Kilkenny)

Mike.

Freddie59

invincibleirish wrote: »

Ok Fox Mulder leave out with the conspiracy theories. again this focusing on where im from is driving ye lot crazy.if you want to turn this into a Waterford v Cork then grow up:rolleyes:.

you all conveniently ignore my points, namely money issues.




Yes it is, Waterford isnt even a city by any means of the imagination, its population is only 100,000 FFS!, You have world class universities within several hours of you and a decent IT in your "city", this country has enough Universities! West Dublin deserves a Uni by your criteria, so does Donegal, Kerry, Tipp etc., you all have done LC geography and heard of primary & peripheral regions, not everywhere can have expensive world class infrastr
ucture,

I get the feeling in this Hornets nest this is merely another version of the Western Rail Corridor, that waste of money was commissioned with the same language i see being mentioned here, i've an idea, instead of a vanity project like this, why not ask your elected reps why money could have been better spent.

Lets start with this, instead of the shiny expensive M9 being built to Dublin (un needed going by potential traffic volumes) which could have been spent on Waterford itself in the Form of Tax breaks, Public transport, schools, WIT etc.

Look, you tosser - while you snigger at Waterford, Cork isn't much better in European terms. And when we DO get a Uni - watch out. We'll overtake Cork in a matter of years. It's inevitable. Live with it.:D

Freddie59

mike65 wrote: »

Okay you are a troll, a city is a city is a city (except for Kilkenny)

Mike.

:D:D

Oafley Jones

Just out of interest, is this a case of just getting a name change or will there be a fundamental change and expansion in the choices offered by WIT? Will they offer Arts for example?

By the way I'm from Cork and went to both CIT and UCC.

AdMMM

There will be a fundemental change. WIT will be able to offer general arts degrees and open up to more humanities courses. Of course all this takes time and it would be a long time before such courses are developed and are available.

Sully

I am going to close this topic for two reasons.

1) Its out of control. Freddie59 has been banned for personal abuse twice and calling a user a troll.

2) There is a topic about the university discussion already. Discuss it there please.

Topic Closed.