Former Mayor calls for South East University HQ to be located in Kilkenny, not Waterford
Old wounds are hard to heal, and an age-old row is rearing its head once again that could destabilise the long awaited establishment of the first university in the South East.
A row over the location of the proposed Technological University of the South East (TUSEI) erupted earlier this week after a former Mayor took to the airwaves calling for it to be headquartered in Kilkenny.
Former Fine Gael councillor Paul Cuddihy raised eyebrows, and quite a few heckles, after he told WLR presenter Damien Tiernan this would be “in the best in the best interests of the South East region”. And he went further, accusing our neighbours of being “shouty”, of portraying itself “as the victim”, and “always being the bridesmaid, never the bride.”
Mr Cuddihy argued that locating the university headquarters in Kilkenny would remove any internal politics that between the existing colleges, Waterford Institute of Technology and Institute of Technology, Carlow.
However, Waterford Sinn Fein TD David Cullinane dismissed Mr Cuddihy’s reasoning. Deputy Cullinane said: “Placing the headquarters in a county without a campus and without a home to students makes no sense. Huge work has been done by both Presidents in WIT and IT Carlow, and others on the Project Team. That work needs to be supported and not undermined.
“There is a concerted effort by voices in Carlow and Kilkenny for the headquarters to be placed in Kilkenny. It is important that political considerations do not trump what is in the best interests of the region and a future University.”
Deputy Cullinane called on Higher Education Minister Simon Harris to provide clarity on the future headquarters of TUSEI, adding: “Parking this issue is not an option. The minister needs to intervene and clearly set out the process for selection.”
