Waterford university costs ‘marginal’

A LEADING academic has called for the development of a university in Waterford with satellite campuses in Wexford and Kilkenny, claiming it would demand only “marginal costs” from the State.

Dr Edward Walsh, President Emeritus of the University of Limerick, said the South East remains "one of the most deprived regions in the country" without a university.

"If you don't have a city with a university at its heart, you are at a disadvantage," Dr Walsh told delegates at a conference on regional development in Waterford yesterday.

Dr Walsh put forward a formula for the restructuring of Waterford Institute of Technology to develop it into a University of Waterford and the South East.

This would involve freeing up space for the city campus to concentrate on degree and postgraduate programmes by moving all apprenticeship and sub-degree courses to centres in Wexford or Carlow Institute of Technology.

"An academic nucleus already exists about which a University of Waterford could readily emerge, with 6,000 degree and postgraduate places at the outset," Dr Walsh suggested.

The campaign for a university in the South East has been driven by WIT and Waterford City Council, but Dr Walsh said a new approach is needed.

"It's a non-starter to think WIT can go through an international and legal assessment process to be classified as a university it isn't," Dr Walsh said.

"WIT has led the way in terms of institutes of technology ... it's a matter of moving onwards and building on its success."

Plans are already well-advanced to construct a new campus for research and development at Carriganore in Co Waterford. This means any additional capital and recurrent costs needed to establish a university would be minimal, the professor said.

"At a marginal cost this could be done; people need to be generous and collaborate and this package would be acceptable to government," he said.

Dr Walsh urged a decision from central government.

Minister for Transport Martin Cullen agreed the lack of a university in the South East was "a glaring deficit" for the region.

"It is my strongly held belief that a university is vital if the city and the region are to fully exploit their economic and social potential," Mr Cullen said.

Dr Walsh and Mr Cullen were addressing a conference entitled, Drive the South East Agenda, organised by Waterford Chamber of Commerce.