New university for south-east expected to open next year

The south-east is set to celebrate the end of a decades-long campaign with its long-awaited new university expected to be operational by January 1 next year

The new Technical University of the South East (TUSEI) will be created after the President of Waterford Institute of Technology (WIT) confirmed there had been progress on finally bringing the project to fruition.

It will be formed through the merger of WIT and Institute of Technology Carlow (ITC).

WIT president Willie Donnelly told WLRFM that there had been "a coming together of minds" to ensure plans to get TUSEI up-and-running were
resolved.

A review of the project by an international panel has been completed and it is expected that a formal proposal to enact TUSEI will be submitted by April.

The Government, Department of Education and Higher Education Authority have all signalled they support the principle of a university for the
south-east – Ireland's most populous region without a university.

Pressure for TUSEI to be delivered mounted with Cork securing its second university and Kerry its first through the creation of Munster Technology University following the merger of Cork Institute of Technology and Institute of Technology Tralee.

Mr Donnelly said the proposals for TUSEI are very ambitious while business leaders in the south-east said university status for the merged new entity will be a dramatic boost for the region.

It comes after a row erupted last month over where the headquarters for the new university should be.

The university row erupted after a long-running boundary dispute between Kilkenny and Waterford continues to fester.

Waterford TD and junior minister Mary Butler said Higher Education Minister Simon Harris had assured her that proposals of a Kilkenny base were "mischievous".