€1,944,402 has been allocated in capital grant funding for Waterford Institute of Technology.
The funding is part of a package of €38 million being allocated for higher education institutions for the coming academic year.
The devolved capital grant allocation will facilitate higher institutions to address a number of key capital investment priorities including:
- Minor works and equipment needs to support safe campus reopening
- Procurement of additional ICT devices – including laptops- to support disadvantaged students who have difficulty in accessing a suitable device for their studies
- Investments in equipment and infrastructure that are required to support the creation of additional student places, given the exceptional circumstances facing the Leaving Cert class of 2021
- General ICT and equipment-related upgrades
- Health and safety works, and other building upgrades
- Investments to support universal access
- Energy efficiency and decarbonisation-related upgrades
In a statement issued to WLR News, Waterford Institute of Technology welcomed the allocation, which is made up of the Devolved Grant 2021/2022 (Incl. Return to Campus) of €1,417,976, €269,020 for procurement of additional ICT devices for disadvantaged students and €257,406 for equipment/infrastructure costs associated with the delivery of additional student places this year.
Welcoming the allocation, Fine Gael Senator John Cummins said:
“This devolved grant forms part of the government's ongoing investment in the higher education sector under Project Ireland 2040 and is particularly welcome as many students return to campus for the first time in well over a year.
He added: “This €1.9 million is in addition to the €269,020 which was provided to WIT earlier this year to support the purchase and lending of laptops to students who did not have the resources to acquire a device themselves. This was a very important support throughout Covid-19 when learning was exclusively online, but access to digital equipment is now a necessity at all times and I’m delighted that higher education institutions will be able to use the devolved capital grant to procure additional laptops where they are required."
Waterford TD and Minister for Mental Health & Older People, Mary Butler said
“The provision of funding announced today will also supplement investments in equipment and infrastructure that may be required to support the creation of additional student places, given the exceptional circumstances facing the Leaving Cert class of 2021 as well as general ICT and equipment-related upgrades, health and safety works, building upgrades in addition to energy efficiency and decarbonisation-related upgrades.
“Previous allocations under the Devolved Capital Grant have had a significant positive impact on campus development nationwide, facilitating initiatives such as upgrading of laboratories, replacement of obsolete ICT equipment, installation of energy efficient lighting, and repurposing of existing spaces in line with the needs of students and staff.
