The campaign to establish a university in the southeast has received a significant boost following the Government's appointment of a British consultant to assess Waterford Institute of Technology's (WIT) application for an upgrade to university status.
Speaking in Waterford on Friday, Minister for Transport Martin Cullen announced that Dr Jim Port, an independent consultant on higher education, will assess the application and provide advice to the Minister for Education on its merits.
Dr Port has "extensive experience in the field of strategic management in higher education" and has previously advised the OECD, various British government ministries, the European Universities Authority and Ireland's Higher Education Authority.
The Minister, who is also a TD for the Waterford constituency, described the assignment as "a major, significant and complex challenge, which I believe will see WIT achieve university status". The announcement was welcomed by the institute's director, Prof Kieran R Byrne, who expressed confidence that "the academic integrity of Waterford Institute of Technology will bear and sustain any scrutiny".
Local business leaders and politicians of all parties have strongly supported the idea of a university in the region. Dominic Carolan, vice-president of Genzyme Ireland, one of the city's major employers, said it would enhance "research, development and innovation" and help "replace the expected loss of traditional sector jobs with new ones in the advanced sector".
Labour's Brian O'Shea TD has claimed that Waterford city is "haemorrhaging jobs at an alarming rate" and said a university would "improve the skills of the local workforce".