South-east ‘will lag behind without a university’

WATERFORD Fianna Fáil Senator Brendan Kenneally has said the city and the south-eastern region will continue to lag behind the rest of the country unless Waterford Institute of Technology is given university status.

Speaking in the Seanad, Senator Kenneally pointed out that in 2005 general funding for third-level institutions was €154.6 million in Cork, €114.9m in Galway, €86.2m in Limerick and €33.5m in Waterford.

“In the same year, capital expenditure was €34m in Cork, €13.8m in Galway, €11.4m in Limerick and €1.7m in Waterford. Therefore, just 2.8% of capital expenditure went to Waterford which is not good enough.”