Local TD and Minister of State at the Department of Transport Hildegarde Naughton has confirmed that €107 million is being allocated for two local educational projects in Galway. Minister Naughton was speaking after receiving confirmation from her colleague, the Minister for Further & Higher Education, Simon Harris TD, who is in Galway today to mark these announcements.
The two projects are;
Atlantic Technological University - The Development of a Multi-Disciplinary Teaching and Learning Facility Centred on a Living Laboratory for Sustainability. The project aims to construct a new 4,400 square metre multidisciplinary teaching and learning building on the Galway City Campus. This will serve students in the areas of Engineering, Business, Science and Computing. Indicative Cost: €30 million
Galway Roscommon Educational Training Board - A replacement for the GTI facility with a new facility in Wellpark, with an entrance from the Tuam Road, which will consolidate full and part-time educational provision in Galway City in a state-of-the-art campus. The indicative cost is €77 million.
“I am delighted that Galway is being recognised as a location for one of Ireland’s “Colleges of the Future”. People in Galway will be familiar with the ageing and outdated building presently occupied by GTI on Fr Griffin Road. The site is small at just over 1 hectare, with 12 prefabricated classrooms in use. Given the pressure of numbers, other property is also rented further along Fr Griffin Road,” the Galway Minister noted.
“Permission has now been granted to the GRETB to build a replacement, new, multi-million euro state of the art Further Education and Training Campus of circa 20,000 square metres. There are three hectares of land available on the existing GRETB site in Wellpark which is capable of accommodating a new and purpose-built facility. It will provide a modern, future-proofed building and will be located on a site which has the capacity for further expansion. This project is one I spoke to Minister Harris about recently and I am very pleased to see this announcement today,” Minister Naughton indicated.
“With the Atlantic Technological University now entrenched in the region, I am also delighted to note that Minister Harris has confirmed that ATU has been successful under the Technological Sector Strategic Projects (TSSPF ) Fund to proceed to develop the business case for a significant development in Galway. This new multi-disciplinary building will serve students in the areas of Engineering, Business, Science and Computing,” the local TD said.
“This is a good day for Galway and the West. Galway has always been a university city but is now firmly established as a third level hub nationally. In order to keep that progressive position, we need substantial new infrastructure. I am therefore very happy to welcome Minister Harris today as he confirms this multi-million euro investment.”
