THE Government's alleged ambivalent treatment of Waterford's premier third-level college became an election issue yesterday as local business and industry representatives joined in the debate.
Waterford Chamber of Commerce called on all candidates to clarify their policies on the new status promised for Waterford Institute of Technology (WIT). The chamber accused the Government and the Minister for Education, Ms Breathnach, of reneging on an undertaking to bring WIT out of the Regional Technical College network and position it on an equal footing with the Dublin Institute of Technology.
It was claimed the Government's acceptance of an expert group report, commissioned following pressure from other RTCs, meant WIT would remain in the same funding pool as those colleges despite its recent nominal change in status.
All 11 RTCs will now be eligible for upgrading to institute status and placed under the authority of a new Irish National Institute of Technology (INIT).
The Labour Party candidate and Minister of State for Health, Mr Brian O'Shea, replied yesterday with an accusation that the Fianna Fail leader, Mr Bertie Ahern, and the Progressive Democrats leader, Ms Mary Harney, had supported Cork RTC in its campaign to be upgraded with Waterford.
He claimed the promises made to Waterford last January by the Minister, Ms Breathnach, had been implemented. "Waterford has been upgraded to an Institute of Technology; no other RTC has been so upgraded."
However, Waterford's Chamber of Commerce president, Ms Mary Dorgan, said the effect of the Government's most recent decision would be to bring Waterford back into the same system by another name, with all the colleges vying for part of one budget.
The Sexton Report on the Future Development of Higher Education, the basis for the decision last January to upgrade the Waterford college, had concluded that the south-east was disadvantaged due to a shortage of degree colleges.
However, following agitation by other RTCs, the proposal for the umbrella INIT body and the up-grading of all the colleges emerged.
The governing body of WIT immediately rejected these recommendations and called on the Minister to confirm her intention to underpin the new status of WIT with its own independent legislation. Oliver Clery, secretary of the Waterford University Action Group, yesterday claimed the dilution of the promise made to Waterford had come about through "totally selfish political expediency". He said they intended during the election campaign to confront every candidate and every visiting political leader about the issue.
Meanwhile, representatives of six major industries in the south-east, in a joint letter supported the chamber's efforts "to ensure that the decision to establish the Institute of Technology at Waterford is fully implemented".
They said they supported the Minister's decision last January "to create an Institute of Technology in Waterford, outside the framework of RTCs, so that the new institute could, among other things, properly respond to the requirements for specialised industry services".