Coalition rift looms over university status for Waterford

WATERFORD’s most senior Government TD John Deasy has highlighted a significant rift in the coalition over the future prospects of a university in the south east.

The Fine Gael deputy said while Enterprise Minister Richard Bruton supported the upgrade of Waterford IT to university status, Education Minister Ruairi Quinn had signalled it would only happen “over his dead body”.

Mr Deasy was assessing the prospects for the city following the shock closure of the Talk Talk call centre and said in order to improve the unemployment situation in Waterford the IT needed to be supported as a technical university.