Budget funding ‘a quantum leap’ for Waterford IT

WATERFORD Institute of Technology has welcomed its major cash injection, describing it as a ‘quantum leap’ in capital funding for the college.

Institute director Professor Kieran R Byrne says WIT has been given the go-ahead for four major projects as part of the Government’s €1.2 billion funding announced in the Budget last week.

A new engineering and science building, a new architecture building, and a business and enterprise building, are to be provided through public-private partnership funding.

A fourth project, a CERT, Tourism and Leisure Building is also to be provided.

It is estimated that the projects will cost in the region of €60 million.

Professor Byrne thanked the Minister for Education Mary Coughlan and congratulated her on leading this major initiative for higher education, particularly so for Waterford. “In securing this level of funding, the minister has opened a new chapter in the development of higher education with the level of investment commensurate with the challenges which lie ahead,” said the director.

“The Institute at Waterford is the eager recipient and participant in the new funding allocation. The initiatives for which the funding has been secured represent critically important areas for the development of the economy in the South East region and indeed, nationally and internationally.

“The four building projects are fundamental platforms from which to launch further initiatives into the future. This is particularly so in terms of the ambition to provide for the more extensive development of fourth level opportunities and the drive for an increased output of PhD graduates. The Institute is ready for this and it will commit further to targeting new programmes for the future, in addition to research initiatives and technology transfer,” added Prof Byrne.