Waterford University discussion

You forgot two IoTs are also in our funding pot, DKIT and dun laoghaire. So what is the advantage of being a TU if you are in the same pot as an IoT?

I wonder will SF call for the presidents removal like they did with WIT

Odd little article in the Sunday Times about the PPP bundle 2, saying BAM is one of the bidders for the project. No news on the project really, but I wondered if the mention was a tee-up for the scheme being ditched. Now 2 years since last mentioned on NDFA website.

https://www.ndfa.ie/projects/higher-education-ppp-bundle-2

What can you say at this stage? Waterford's university ambitions have been kicked to death by all parties. Twenty years of grief. The present minister Simon Harris hs led us up the garden path. Fine Gael should be buried forever in Waterford on this.

Indeed azimuth17, what can anyone say at this stage?

FG promised a full university in 2011.

Labour destroyed WIT management (led by Ruairi Quinn as minister for education).

FF voted down the Hunt report in 2008/9 halting the university development, also undid the IoT upgrade in 1998, and have done nothing but harm since regaining power in the 2016+ period.

SF led the charge at the PAC, with investigations into WIT management that went nowhere, but ended up weakened the management team in the TU merger negotiations.

No party has a positive vision, hope or even promises for the TU sector, Waterford or is making any promises.

The only play at the moment is embarrassing Harris while still in office by calling him out for promising a gamechanger and delivering an unfunded and complicated merger/consolidation which at this point has actually reducing higher education capacity in the SE by around 5%.

David Cullinane has betrayed his 20,000 voters. Odds on he will be a minister in next government. He will do nothing exceptional for Waterford, because theArd Comhairle will not let him.

He and his local offspring are incapable of embarrassment. They don't do empathy. Time is coming though when Mr Cummins will realise that he is very far out on a very slender board over a very big fire. He has no excuses at this stage. Will be very interesting to see who he blames for lack of delivery. It wil not be his or FG fault. Just watch.

Two interesting job adverts on the SETU Waterford recruitment Hub- Programme Development Lead for Veterinary Medicine and another for Pharmacy. SETU is pushing on with these new courses- a great sign.

I think the practical element of the Veterinary course would be provided at teagasc kildalton. Heard something about it a few months ago

Engineering building on the go since 2009 planning applications. Fourteen years ago. .

More smoke and mirrors on behalf of FG.

Hopefully another wipeout at the next GE, they have shown nothing but contempt for Waterford city and it environs since garret Fitzgerald....I won't be voting FF or SF either we are bereft of representation from the main parties here.

Hence the crumbs from the table and platitudes.

Sad really.

One for everybody in the audience

https://m.independent.ie/regionals/wexford/wexford-district/compulsory-purchase-of-setu-wexford-campus-site-all-but-complete-as-design-team-set-to-be-appointed/a157617590.html

Delayed for months and still not signed, to facilitate a simultaneous announcement in Wexford. The balance of politics, Carlow/Kilkenny/ Wexford on any SETU board will greatly outweigh any Waterford voice. This is going to get very difficult and is the result of the "everything is going to Waterford" and "Waterford must learn to share" and " There will be a university, but the name Waterford won't be over the door " narrative spread by politicians especially in Carlow/ Kilkenny. Every penny to be spent will cause a row. The result will not benefit third level education in the south east. The actions of Fine Gael on this are contemptible and have been driven by politics rather than education. The 14 year wait for a new engineering school at WIT is indicative of Waterford's political powerlessness/helplessness.

This region needed a traditional university, but the region's politicians did not want a traditional university, or maybe did not want Waterford as a university city like Limerick or Galway for obvious reasons. Therefore, in my opinion, the region has demanded the second best option of a limited regional type university, which will increasingly be under pressure from the growing attraction, reach, access, courses, scale and facilities of Ireland's traditional universities and whose development will always be subject to the veto/influence of the heads of the traditional universities, the HEA and the senior civil servants in the Dept of Further Education who will selfevidently seek to protect the traditional universities in any bun fight over funding, courses, or any possible future cutbacks.

Technological University is a convenient umbrella methodology to reduce the number of IoTs by rebranding them. It is akin to naming small hospitals as University Hospitals. UHW at least has the number of consultants, regional remit and the specialties to justify the name and could, in a traditional university setting support a full medical school. Others, like Tralee and Clonmel, are simply rebranded for PR purposes. It is interesting that SETU in setting out its priorities made no demand for a medical school.

I wish Wexford well having lived and worked there, but fear that a lack of political leadership and an unwillingness to critically analyse the regional third level needs and see the appropriate solutions will end up damaging SETU/Waterford/WIT and the region as a whole. Its 100 miles from west Cork to UCC, its 14 miles from Co Wexford to WIT. The bridge in New Ross was a bridge too far for our neighbours? Its problematic.

The news from Dundalk might make people think:

https://www.dundalkdemocrat.ie/news/home/1027880/mazars-review-of-dundalk-it-raises-major-concerns.html

Next elections will be interesting, which ever county gets a full minister is the campus that will do the best and if Waterford stands up and questions it they will be shot down as they will be investing in the "South East"

We are well and truly screwed.

Embedded division suits the system. The south east had an opportunity for a proper university in Waterford but this was undermined by two south east cabinet ministers, Phil Hogan and Brendan Howlin.Very hard to grasp that on any level. The headline suggests that the future will be a grim dogfight.

What I can never get my head around is why three small cities like cork Limerick and Galway all fairly close to each other to varying degrees need 2 ITs each and now 2 Universities?

Thats where the major imbalance and indeed complete misallocation of resources is. Neither of these need or warrant both. And same for Dublin with three now four Universities.

Three universities and three IoTs/Tech Universities between Cork, Limerick and Galway with approx 75000 students between them. Hows that for a big number. Because the south east could not unite around a uni for Waterford and a TU for Carlow/Wexford because of political venom. A lesson n self harm. It is quickly turning into a crock. Waterford waiting 14 years for one new building. Its unbelievable.

Children.

I think they have to apply for it and the process is open to all third level institutions including the existing universities? I readsomewhere that UL have/has applied for it with the backing of a Mr McManus.

They have enough but of course that won’t come into it. Only thing is is Kildalton could be a trump card as it’s an excellent facility, Irelands leading Agri college. Would have the facilities already plus the animals. Limerick wouldn’t have as good but that’s not to say either

I fear you’re right. Always the way unfortunately

They will probably all get the vet school but it will be something like started course in the TUs and you finish your vet degree in a stand alone Uni

They are at it again

https://kclr96fm.com/university-for-carlow-and-kilkenny-to-get-close-to-e3-5million-to-help-make-changes-to-campuses/

Finally, the crystal site is delivered

Still holding reservations over the plan and development timeframes especially when we see the 2007 carriganore video a few posts above.

Can we really see the full Wexford campus and crystal site development take place in tandom

This line is interesting in the press release for the crystal site

The next move is the development of a "business case" for the development of the site, by SETU with the help of the HEA.

There is no mention of a business case for the Wexford campus, it's common knowledge that the Wexford campus has been a financial millstone on ItaCrlow for over a decade with tiny student numbers and of those small numbers a high percentage transfer to Carlow in second year. But that doesn't matter to the jumped-up Wexford politicians and county councillors, and we will end up with millions wasted in Wexford on a white elephant new campus to satisfy their delusions of grandeur. Millions that should be spend on the big campuses in Waterford and Carlow where students want to go