2026-07-02

106. Deputy John McGuinness asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if he will engage with SETU to deliver on the commitment in the original agreement establishing a university in the south east to include a significant campus in Kilkenny city; and his views on establishing a Norman study centre as part of the campus.- [50200/26]

During the early negotiations to establish a university in the south east, Kilkenny played a key role. I was associated with those negotiations, many years after which South East Technological University, SETU, was established. What steps are being taken to expand the courses offered in Kilkenny city relative to the university? Does the Minister consider a Norman museum as something appropriate that could be championed and provided?

Before I respond, I wish St. Aidan's Services in Gorey well. I know the organisation very well because Gorey was my hometown before I ever lived in Kildare. My sister-in-law, Laura Walsh, is a service user in St. Aidan's. I do not think she is in the group today but if she is, I say "hello" to her and all of the other service users. The staff do a great job, and I thank them for everything they do. I am very familiar with the organisation's work. I thank Deputy McGuinness for the question on the campus in Kilkenny city. He raised this directly with me before and I appreciate that. It is something he has championed, and I see the merit in the Norman concept, particularly as we are coming to The Year of the Normans later in this term. That is something that would be appropriate for the commemoration of that period. Kilkenny as a city with its great tradition would be a very suitable home for it. In terms of how we organise capital projects and support them from within the Department, my Department works with the higher education institutions and education training boards, ETBs, to develop capital projects, along with their master plans. Capital investment is then allocated through a competitive process. Successful projects progress through different stages of planning, tender and construction but ultimately it is a bottom-up process. The institutions come to me with projects as opposed to me going to them to tell them what to do. The NDP published last July includes the capital ceilings for the next four years, and that is complemented by the tertiary sector's capital investment plan. The capital funding envelop available to me is the mechanism through which I fund these projects, which is significant with €4.55 billion allocated across my Department for capital projects. SETU is the relevant institute in the south east, and it has multiple campuses, including a presence in the Xcelerate Centre at St. Kieran's College on College Road in Kilkenny. It has an action to enhance key strategic partnerships, as well as the establishment of a working group with Kilkenny County Council and Kilkenny Chamber of Commerce to explore opportunities for further development in Kilkenny. I am sure the Deputy is probably involved in that already but that seems to be an appropriate grouping to maybe advance this project through because if it was to put together a proposal or master plan, it could come up the chain to me thereafter.

The reason that I raise it directly with the Minister this morning is that in those early negotiations, it was clearly stated that Kilkenny would have a significant role in the context of the south-east university, now SETU. I want to see that delivered on because Kilkenny was part of the agreement to establish the headquarters and so in Waterford and the other various activities under SETU. I want to see the commitment that was made to Kilkenny as part of that south-east university honoured. I suggest to the Minister that in honouring the commitment, SETU should be encouraged to discuss the possibility of a Norman study centre. Kilkenny is associated with animation, thanks to Cartoon Saloon and so on. There is also Kilkenny Design. I am sure there are many other activities and courses that could be arranged in Kilkenny. I am trying to develop the idea and while I understand that the funding request must go from SETU to the Minister, I hope that by reminding the Minister of the commitment that was given, he might encourage discussions to advance what I suggested.

I certainly will, and I am open to proposals coming in from SETU on that. In fact, more than that, the next time I meet with SETU, I will inquire about the status of this proposal and what its intentions are regarding it. Regarding SETU investment in the region more broadly, one of the most significant enhancements planned for Kilkenny is the development of Kildalton Agricultural College. It will accommodate the new veterinary programme roll-out, which will have 40 student vets attending in the south east for the first time. This will complement the 40 students that will attend the Atlantic Technological University, ATU, in the north west. That is a really exciting programme that specifically includes anatomy and pathology training facilities at Kildalton for the practical side of the training. That will go live this September with 40 new students signed up for that. As the Deputy suggested, I see the merit in the Norman study centre, and I will raise it when I next meet with SETU. However, in the first instance, it falls on it to come forward with the proposal. The Deputy was with me when I visited Kilkenny recently to launch the college of the future project. That is moving ahead, and I encourage it to get ready to appoint the design teams. I expect that project to progress rapidly in the near future.

I welcome the development in relation to the ETB and acknowledge the significant contribution it is making in terms of apprenticeships and so on. Regarding the veterinary college at Kildalton, those 40 vets will certainly make a difference. I also believe that Kildalton college can be developed at a rapid pace to bring the numbers up in terms of veterinary students, and it is an excellent site beyond the veterinary designation that it now has. I come back to the point that it was the goodwill of all concerned many years ago that brought about the establishment of SETU, and the different political players there were given certain commitments and that is why I am pressing the Minister. I know there is investment taking place and that there are different activities, courses and so on but I am simply anxious, as the Minister will appreciate, to ensure that it continues to grow and expand.

I share that ambition. It is important that it has a footprint across the south-east region. To be fair, we met with Kildalton. We are seeing this at other locations across the south east. I take the point about that particular project, which the Deputy would like to see being advanced more rapidly. That is a fair ask. Kilkenny is a growing city with really strong employment. I worked there with VHI for a number of years, so I am familiar with the potential that the city has in the wider region and how it is already a hub for really strong employers, both domestic and international. There is FDI going into Kilkenny at Purcellsinch business park and other places. That can only continue. The veterinary college that the ETBs are putting in place and that I am supporting will be helpful to that ambition also. I understand that further investment of the type the Deputy proposes will be welcome also. I am certainly happy to take it up with SETU, and I am sure the Deputy will also do so through his own offices.