Approval has been granted by the Minister for Higher Education, Simon Harris, for the South East Technological University (SETU) to enter formal negotiations to acquire the former Waterford Crystal site on the Cork Road.
The site has lain derelict for a number of years but is set to be repurposed as SETU seek to expand the Waterford campus footprint.
The news has been welcomed by Waterford Fine Gael Senator, John Cummins.
“I’m delighted to receive confirmation from my colleague Minister Harris that he has given SETU approval to enter negotiations with the owner of the former Waterford Crystal site today following sanction from the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform. Funding has been ringfenced for this acquisition project which is essential to the future growth of the new university.”
“A great deal of work was done by the former WIT in relation to the acquisition of this site in terms of dialogue, negotiation and valuations, therefore it is my hope that that this banked work at the front end of the process will yield the desired result at the backend of the process. A robust valuation exercise has been undertaken incorporating many elements and the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform were satisfied to sanction the negotiating parameters.”
In a similar vein to comments from the Minister in the Dail earlier this week, Senator Cummins outlined his belief that those who try and ‘detract’ from the technological university are simply missing the point.
“While some detractors will say there isn’t a need for additional land for our new university, I think they completely miss the importance of this site from both a practical and symbolic perspective. Not only will it future proof the growth of the university in Waterford, it will also give an enormous lift to the people of Waterford to know that a site which once employed thousands of people will be repurposed to educate and accommodate the next generation of young workers.“
