Newly elected Waterford Fine Gael TD John Cummins has confirmed that the Higher Education PPP Bundle 2 which contains a major capital build at SETU’s Cork Road campus has been formally approved at a meeting of Cabinet this morning.
Tenders were received for the project in early April.
Bundle 2 aims to deliver five very significant capital projects across three universities, in five counties, namely SETU, TUS and ATU. The projects range in size from 5,100 sq/m to 12,800 sq/m and encompass various disciplines including engineering, applied science, information technology, STEM learning and library services.
Two projects are planned for SETU, a 6,100 sq/m Science facility at SETU Carlow and a 12,800 sq/m Engineering, Computing and General Teaching building at SETU Waterford.
In a letter to Deputy Cummins in early April, the then Minister for Further and Higher Education and current Taoiseach Simon Harris said;
“Further to our ongoing engagement in relation to PPP Bundle 2, I wish to confirm the final tender has been received. A full technical and financial evaluation is currently being undertaken of this bid”. He went on to say “As you know, I am acutely aware of the importance of this project to SETU and I will ensure the new Minister for Further and Higher Education is fully appraised in early course. I assure you I remain fully committed to the delivery of PPP Bundle 2 and look forward to continuing to work with you on this project”.
Speaking following the Cabinet decision Deputy Cummins said: “I am on record as expressing my deep frustration with the slow nature of the PPP process which is being managed by the National Development Finance Agency. The reality is this bundle experienced a number of setbacks and significant due diligence and cost benefit analysis was required to ensure it found favour with cabinet."
“This project has been one of my main priorities to deliver for Waterford and I have engaged with the Taoiseach, Minister O’Donovan and Minister Donohoe throughout the process to underscore the importance of this project for our new university. I’m delighted that it has received the green light today and I look forward to contracts being signed and construction commencing in Q1 next year."
Deputy Cummins said: “There have been a lot of inaccuracies put out there in the public domain about the Higher Education PPP Bundle 2, not least the incorrect assertion that the resubmission of planning for the building in Waterford in September would see this project stalled indefinitely. The reality is additional due diligence in the guise of a cost benefit analysis was required and thankfully the benefits have been determined to outweigh the economic costs”.
He concluded by saying: “This has been a top priority project for me to get over the line and I am certain it will be a major asset to SETU when it is completed. It follows the excellent news in the past few months of the awarding of veterinary medicine and pharmacy to SETU. I am very much looking forward to continuing to work closely with the leadership team led by Professor Veronica Campbell to progress further items for SETU such as student accommodation and further capital expansion on the new University Enterprise quarter (former Waterford Crystal site) which was purchased by the state last year."
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