Having regard to the firm commitments made to establish a new constituent campus in Wexford town for the Southeast Technological University, when does the Minister expect specific capital funding to be allocated and announced for this project? When will the masterplan for the site be published? When does he expect SETU to have access to the new site and construction work on the new campus to begin? Will he outline the discussions he has had to date with the board of SETU and the Higher Education Authority on the facilities to be sited in Wexford? When will an announcement will be made on this issue?
Sentiment score: 0.04
No. It is about Wexford.
Sentiment score: -0.15
I apologise. I thought the Minister said Kilkenny.
Sentiment score: 0.19
Absolutely.
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As the Minister stated, the site at Killeens has been CPOed but is subject to an ongoing arbitration to agree a final price. While Wexford County Council can access the site immediately, it cannot give a sale price to SETU for its portion of the land until the arbitration process is concluded, which may take many months. This will give a further excuse to SETU to sit on its hands, claiming it can do nothing until all the issues on the site are resolved. It is imperative that the masterplan be concluded and published as soon as possible. The design and composition of the new buildings for the campus should proceed immediately and planning permission lodged with the council. It should be in a position to tender for the buildings as soon as planning permission is received. This will require a specific allocation of funding to the project by the Higher Education Authority from the Department of further and higher education. The Technological Universities Act 2018 was enacted specifically with the SETU in mind. Wexford is a central component of that. We have a facility in Wexford. We need a state-of-the-art new campus to fulfil the aspirations of that.
Sentiment score: 0.08
There can be no hesitation at this stage. In 2015, ten years ago, the money was made available for the purchase of a site in Wexford town for the campus of the SETU. Wexford County Council can access the site as it stands. The only thing outstanding is the decision on the actual price of what is going to be sold to the SETU. It is imperative that this progress. The biggest county involved in the whole of the SETU process, County Wexford, with a population heading for in excess of 170,000 people, appears to be the one that is left behind consistently in the process of the establishment of the SETU. It is imperative that this Wexford campus be constructed as a matter of urgency. Any delay or hold-up that appears on the horizon seems to be seized upon and grasped by SETU. There are some fine people involved in this but I have to say progress has been less than satisfactory, if not tardy. I ask for the Minister's personal intervention in this. He is a proud Wexford man by birth. I ask for his intervention to ensure that this campus moves along as rapidly as possible and that the master plan is proceeded with.
Sentiment score: 0.16
I ask the Minister to intervene in that also.
Sentiment score: 0.00