Funding approved for multi-million euro projects at MTU Cork and Tralee  

The Government has approved two multi-million capital projects at Munster Technological University.

The Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science Simon Harris yesterday announced that one project at MTU's Cork campus and another at its Tralee campus will progress to the next stage of development under the Technological Sector Strategic Projects Fund (TSSPF).

Under the plans, Blocks A and D at MTU Cork will be upgraded and extended to provide core teaching facilities in the areas of business, humanities, engineering, science, health and wellbeing, and tourism.

The Minister said that the project will allow MTU Cork to future-proof its learning provision in terms of both numbers of learners and disciplines provided, and the new infrastructure will be utilised to address skills shortages in existing sectors and to address skills needs in emerging enterprise opportunities in the region.

A Student Learner Centre with the potential to serve 2,000-3,000 students is to be developed at MTU Tralee. 

“We are investing tens of millions of euros across the country to ensure each student benefits from the highest quality of education," Minister Harris said. 

“This means MTU can now work towards appointing design teams to get the ball rolling on each of these transformative projects for MTU.

“It is with these multi-million euro investments that we will truly change the learners’ experience for the better, providing the highest quality of infrastructure.

“These are significant investments, providing funding to the tune of €130m for a number of projects that have been successful at this stage of the programme, of which MTU Cork and Kerry are two of those projects.

President of MTU Professor Maggie Cusack welcomed the announcement, saying that it: “marks a real vote of confidence in MTU and will enhance further and higher education opportunities across the southwest region for generations to come.

She continued: “Added to the recently opened state-of-the-art MTU Arena on our Bishopstown campus, as well as the buildings we currently have under construction and renovation – including a new Learning Resource Centre in Bishopstown and a new Science Technology Engineering and Maths (STEM) Building on MTU’s Kerry North Campus in Tralee – these new capital projects will enhance MTU’s reputation as a great place to study and work and a first-choice university in Munster.”