THE GREEN light has been given for the acquisition of a 35-acre-site at a prime Wexford town location to develop a purpose built campus for the Wexford outreach centre of the Carlow Institute of Technology.
The announcement reaffirms plans to establish the University of the South East.
The exact location of the proposed college has not been disclosed as the transaction has yet to be formalised. However, the deal is said to be at an advanced stage and further details are expected to be announced in the coming weeks.
Since its opening in 1995, the Wexford Campus has been based at Summerhill Road and, more recently, opened its School of Art and Design on Hill Street in Wexford town.
The development of Wexford Campus has involved close interaction with key stakeholders in the county including Wexford County Council, Wexford Waterford Education and Training Board, Diocese of Ferns, and various agencies involved in enterprise development and education.
Chief Whip Paul Kehoe welcomed the news last week, describing it as an “acknowledgement of the real commitment to the success of this project.”
“The development of a TUI for the South East remains a key objective for this government,” said the Fine Gael TD.
He continued: “Last July, the Government published Michael Kelly’s Report into the establishment of a Technological University for the South East and we hope to continue to make progress towards this goal. In government, we believe the South East has the potential for even better economic growth and even greater job creation and with the launch of the South East Action Plan for Jobs we which aim to build on this success and deliver a further 10-15% employment growth for the region. A strong Technological University in the South East will help support these plans.”
Chairman of Institute of Technology Carlow Governing Body Mr John Moore has also welcomed the announcement.
“The Institute is very ambitious for the development of higher education in the region and the county and we are motivated by what we have achieved in recent years. The Wexford Campus is an integral part of our vision for higher education in the South East,” he said.
Similarly, Tom Enright, Chief Executive of Wexford County Council, expressed his support for the acquisition of the site, describing it as “a strong vote of confidence in Wexford as an education hub and has ensured that Wexford will play a significant role in the progress towards a Technological University for the South East”.
He added that the development would also “help to address the relatively poor progression rate of young people in county Wexford on to third-level education which, in turn, will help Wexford become more attractive for inward investment and employment opportunities”.