Ninth Level Ireland

“… One can only look askance at the recent comments by Minister for Further Education Simon Harris when visiting the Carlow/Kilkenny constituency. What is the man at? Senator John Cummins must think his general election hopes are being toasted in front of his eyes as Harris promises TUSE largesse all over the region without really committing to WIT’s lead role! Not, mind you, that we want to see Simon if his previous form as health minister is anything to go by …” (more)

[Waterford News and Star, 23 November]

“‘I am concerned that the announcement about Waterford, which took into account not only the status and achievements of that college, but also the specific higher education needs of the south-east region, has been interpreted as in some way diminishing the status of Cork regional technical college. That is not the case’ …” (more)

[Dermot Keyes, Waterford News and Star, 9 November]

“‘WIT has been stymied mercilessly by the Higher Education Authority and the Department of Education.’ In October 1985, I met the late Padraig Ó Gríofa, Waterford Chamber President Tom Bradfield and Ollie Cleary coming down the steps of the Tower Hotel after the launch of the Bannon Report on a Tech University for Waterford …” (more)

[Waterford News and Star, 9 November]

“The Italians had Machiavelli to explain their political culture, France had Richelieu and we had Paddy O’Carroll, the late, great UCC sociologist. His paper ‘Strokes, cute hoors and sneaking regarders’ is still the best user manual for Irish politics …” (more)

[Ray Griffin, Irish Examiner, 4 November]

“John Cummins (Fine Gael):Yesterday marked a very significant milestone in a journey which has had more twists than a murder mystery novel. Thankfully, that chapter has come to a conclusion and a new chapter has begun with yesterday’s announcement that a technical university for the south east will be established by 1 May and that all final year students currently attending Waterford Institute of Technology, WIT, and IT Carlow will graduate with a university degree …” (more)

[Seanad debates, 3 November]

“The country’s newest technological university is on course to be established next year with the merger of IT Carlow and Waterford IT. Minister for Further and Higher Education Simon Harris announced on Tuesday that an application to establish a technological university for the south-east has been assessed and will be established in 2022 …” (more)

[Carl O’Brien, Irish Times, 2 November]

“The long mooted Technological University of the South East (TUSE) took a significant step closer to becoming a reality today (Tuesday) as Minister for Further and Higher Education Simon Harris officially announced its establishment …” (more)

[Padraig Byrne, Wexford People, 2 November]

“Wexford TD Verona Murphy has announced – via her Facebook page – that the Higher Education Authority (HEA) has approved the merger of Waterford Institute of Technology and IT Carlow and that Cabinet will sign off on it next week. However, there has been no official confirmation of Deputy Murphy’s assertion …” (more)

[Darren Skelton, Waterford News and Star, 28 October]

“The new Students’ Union for the Technological University for the South East will not be in Kilkenny. The city had been mooted for the base for the combined unions of Carlow IT and IT Waterford when they merge under TUSE status but that suggestion has now been quashed …” (more)

[Edwina Grace, KCLR 96FM, 19 August]

“An international advisory panel of higher education experts is concluding its review of the Waterford IT (WIT)/IT Carlow (ITC) application for designation as a Technological University (TU) this afternoon. Since Monday, July 5 (and over seven days in total) the advisory panel, appointed by Further Education Minister Simon Harris (FG) has held three different daily sessions for six of those days, extending to one hour each …” (more)

[Dermot Keyes, Waterford News and Star, 15 July]

“Verona Murphy (Wexford, Independent): To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the progress that has been made on the acquisition of a site for the Wexford campus of the Technological University of South East Ireland; and if he will make a statement on the matter …” (more)

[Dáil written answers, 8 July]

“Brian Stanley (Laois-Offaly, Sinn Fein): To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the role his Department played in the appointment of a person (details supplied) to a position …” (more)

[Dáil written answers, 8 July]

“David Cullinane (Waterford, Sinn Fein): To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the status of the application for a technological university for the south-east; and if he will make a statement on the matter …” (more)

[Dáil written answers, 8 July]

“Verona Murphy (Wexford, Independent): To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the level of funding his Department has secured to support the establishment of a County Wexford campus for the technological university of south east Ireland, TUSEI; and if he will make a statement on the matter …” (more)

[Dáil debates, 8 July]

“The vote of the WIT branch of the TUI to accept the TUSE and the merger with Carlow IT puts an end to our hopes for a university of similar status to UL in Waterford. Hope springs eternal and the case that Waterford had for full university designation has not gone away. Maybe a more enlightened government or a more forceful political push from this area will achieve what seemed to be within our grasp in 2006 …” (more)

[Waterford News and Star, 8 June]

“Following ballots of members of the WIT and Carlow IT branches this week, the Memorandum of Understanding between TUI and WIT management and IT Carlow management in relation to the Technological University of the South East Ireland (TUSEI) has been accepted. The results of the ballot were as follows: 79% voted in favour of the memorandum in WIT branch; 90% voted in favour of the memorandum in Carlow IT branch …” (more)

[Darren Skelton, Waterford News and Star, 27 May]

“Paul Kehoe (Wexford, Fine Gael): To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the status of the technological university for the south-east; and if he will make a statement on the matter …” (more)

[Dáil written answers, 20 May]

“… Why do we believe relativities have changed when Limerick, Cork and Galway now have two universities, a traditional high level one and a lower level Technological University, while Waterford will have, according to Simon Harris, a third of a TUSE? How does Prof Willie Donnelly of WIT or Ger Hurley of Waterford Chamber think this is a good idea? I have to believe that our politicians, Matt Shanahan excepted, see something in this hill of magic beans that is not obvious? …” (more)

[Waterford News and Star, 11 May]

“Following on from recent revelations that Waterford Institute of Technology and Institute of Technology Carlow hired two consultants to drive on the TUSE application – at €1,000 per day – without advertising the tender as per European procurement rules, the Waterford News & Star can reveal that the two colleges involved in the Munster Technological University’s application did the same thing …” (more)

[Darren Skelton, Waterford News and Star, 5 May]

“… WIT’s governing body has signed off on the application and the allegedly apocryphal statement by Phil Hogan that ‘there will be a university in the South East and the name Waterford won’t be over the door’ will come to pass. I feel our city has been politically humiliated, distanced from its peers and betrayed by Fine Gael policy over the past decade to drive it into the realms of the county towns …” (more)

[Waterford News and Star, 4 May]