The new college campus for Clonmel will make the town a vibrant student town.
That’s according to Minister for Further and Higher Education Simon Harris who announced the significant funding for the project at the former Kickham Barracks site yesterday.
€34.8 million of funding was announced for the shared campus between TUS and the ETB which will see over 1,000 students studying in the centre of Clonmel.
Speaking to Tipp FM, Minister Harris said that this announcement could mean nothing but good for Clonmel:
“I think this will really help transform Clonmel, it’ll bring more students here into the town, I think it will play a major role in the ongoing rejuvination, regeneration of such a large town here in South Tipperary.
“It’s going to do more than that though as well, all of that is really important but it’s going to lead the way in Ireland in terms of showing what a connected campus can be like. What’s a connected campus – it’s where higher education – a university and further education come together.”
Minister Harris also said that he feels Technological Universities hold the key to solving the student accommodation crisis in Tipperary.
He said that until now, technological universities could not access money to build student accommodation:
“Alongside more students coming to any area, there is a need to address accommodation. Last Tuesday, I got government approval to allocate €1 million to the Technological Universities to begin to develop their student accommodation plans.
“In fairness to them, up until now, they’ve never been allowed borrow for student accommodation, now they can and I know from talking to the Technological University of the Shannon, which will be the university here, they will be submitting plans next year to build student accommodation in general for the university so if they come with proposals for Clonmel, indeed if they come with proposals for Thurles where I think there’s huge capacity, those proposals will be treated very seriously and we’ll try and help get them over the line.”
