Waterford Oireachtas members are calling on the presidents of WIT and IT Carlow to meet them to discuss the South East TU.
The application for the Technological University has yet to be submitted.
Last June, a memorandum of understanding agreed by management at the colleges was rejected by unions in Carlow.
Waterford Sinn Féin TD David Cullinane says he's written to the presidents to ask for an urgent meeting:
"We met them just after the most recent general election but, we need to put as much pressure on as possible.
"I think it's absolutely unacceptable that a region that suffers disproportionately in relation to unemployment, still has one of the highest unemployment rates in the country would again be the last one to see any real progress on a technological university."
"The presidents of the two institutes need to spell out very clearly what the hold up is, how they are fixing it and how they are proceeding with it."
Deputy Cullinane says a solution to the issues between the institutes needs to be found:
"It is the case that one of the main impediments here seems to be getting staff from IT Carlow on board and there has been ongoing engagement with trade unions.
"You need to bring academics with you in relation to any changes and there will be big changes in both institutes as they transition into a university."
"Those challenges were overcome in Dublin and other parts of the country, why is it that we can't overcome these challenges and deal with them in the South East?"
Deputy Cullinane says the delay is a huge concern:
"We already have the TU in place in Dublin and other consortium in other parts of the country powering ahead.
"We've seen in recent days that IT Tralee and CIT in Cork are now progressing with their plans and are more advanced than the South East.
"Given that the whole logic around Technological Universities was driven mainly around the need for a university in the South East, the only region without a university, I find it extraordinary, very frustrating and incredible that we could be the last region to get a university and still no guarantees."
