July 27th 2015: County Carlow Chamber has today welcomed the publication of the Kelly Report on the merger between IT Carlow and Waterford Institute of Technology. The Report, drawn up by Michael Kelly previous chairman of the Higher Education Authority, describes the merger as a being a viable and desirable proposition.
Speaking today about the findings, County Carlow Chamber President, Derek Shannon, said, “The recommendations from the Report are really positive, and the Chamber welcomes the commitment from the parties involved in continuing with the process. This is an issue of tremendous importance for region and for the business community here in Carlow. The establishment of a multi campus Technological University in the south east is seen as a critical component of the infrastructure required to ensure sustainable economic development in the south east region. Not only would the university act as a catalyst for increased inward investment to the region and to Carlow, it will provide a pool of skilled graduates to meet the needs of industry and enterprise across all disciplines including business, engineering and science.”
Commenting further he said, “Michael Kelly’s report clearly keeps a Technological University on the table and has developed a timeframe around it. He has described it as a viable and desirable option and hopefully we will now continue to see further positive steps on the delivery of a technological university for the region.”
The Report can be read here