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Waterford Chamber of Commerce has expressed concern at the government’s delay in the establishment of a Technological University in the South East and now asks that a commitment to a time frame for delivery of the Technological University is agreed.
It was reported on Friday, September 9 that the government had moved to “accelerate” setting up a university in the south-east, with Waterford IT likely to be upgraded to full university status under the proposals. The discussion at cabinet level came in the wake of 575 job losses at the Talk Talk call centre in Waterford– where campaigns have been ongoing for the local Institute of Technology to be given university status for many years.
However on Saturday, September 10, the Department of Education clarified that it had not yet decided to create a university in the region – and that it was instead looking to speed up a review into whether new ‘Technological Universities’ could be created.
According to Waterford Chamber the granting of a Technological University could offer the region a potential €90 million economic boost.
Commenting on the announcement and clarification President of Waterford Chamber Anne Marie Caulfield said, “This move to fast-track the designation of the Technological University of the South East is part of the government’s three-measure response to the loss of 575 jobs at Talk Talk in Waterford which is to shut down within a month. As far back as 2005 a Goodbody report commissioned by Waterford Chamber revealed that a University could generate up to €96 million euro annually for the economy of the South East. Further reports in 2007 and 2008, also commissioned by Waterford Chamber, clearly show that university designated third and fourth level education must be delivered in Waterford if the South east region is to improve its record of poor economic performance relative to the rest of the country."
Initially following the meeting on Friday 9th, Minister for Jobs and Enterprise Richard Bruton said Ministers decided to prioritise the promise in the programme for government to give university status to the southeast.
He said it was one part of a three-pronged approach to the crisis. He said IDA Ireland would be actively involved in seeking alternatives for the facility. He also said officials from the Department of Social Protection would travel to Waterford next week to brief and advise workers, as well as exploring training and enterprise possibilities with employees.
Earlier this year, the Hunt report on third-level education ruled out the establishment of any new universities, and ruled out university status for Waterford Institute of Technology (WIT) and other institutes of technology. However, the report held out the prospect of some institutes being redesignated as technological universities, provided strict criteria were met. Speaking last March in the Dáil, Mr Quinn pointed to the experience of rebranding polytechnics in the UK as universities.
Concluding, the Chamber President said, “The loss of the Talk Talk 575 jobs is just one of many cases of significant job losses across the South East region over the last two years. We have suffered enormously on the employment front and while the rate of new business set up in the region and the level of entrepreneurship is at an all time high the South East continues to lag behind many other regions. It is now more vital than ever that University designation is fast-tracked, and some real action is taken on behalf of the region.”
 Goodbody Report 2005 (1.0 MB)
Goodbody Report 2005 Executive Summary (135 KB)
Goodbody Report Update - March 2007 (32 KB)
Economic Report 2008 |
