IT merger sees sixth facilitator in 2 years

A sixth facilitator in two years has been appointed to try to get Carlow and Waterford Institutes of Technology back talking about merger plans for a possible joint university application.

The process is to resume after governing bodies of both colleges decided to enter a preliminary process of facilitation ahead of possible resumption of dialogue. Waterford Institute of Technology (WIT) decided last October to withdraw from talks of the previous three years on merging, claiming it could achieve standards necessary to become a technological university (TU) quicker without Institute of Technology Carlow (ITC).

However, rules set in 2012 for the formation of a TU require the merger of two or more institutes of technology for an application for the upgraded status to be made.