Technological University for the South East

Technological University for the South East Ireland or TUSE, TUSEI is a proposed Technological University in the South East region of the Republic of Ireland. It is a planned amalgamation of two existing Institutes of Technology in the region - Waterford IT and IT Carlow.
Background.
Waterford Institute of Technology opened in 1970 as a Regional Technical College and adopted its present name on 7 May 1997. It first made an unsuccessful application to become a university in 2006, under the Universities Act 1997. Institute of Technology, Carlow was founded in 1960. The proposal is supported by the southern region's, Regional Spatial and Economic Strategy.
Timeline.
IT Carlow has been planning a joint application with Waterford IT for the formation of a Technological University for the South East region since the mid-2010s. A vision document, "Technological University for the South East" (TUSE) was published in 2015, and a memorandum of understanding was signed in 2017.
In May 2018, a spokesperson for the Higher Education Authority (HEA) expressed a belief that a formal application will be made in Autumn 2018, with an approval expected in spring 2019. At the launch of TU Dublin in July 2018, the Taoiseach expressed regret that this TUSE bid had not progressed sufficiently following the Technological Universities Act 2018.
The TUSEI bid was due to be submitted in September 2018.
In November 2018 Dr. Patricia Mulcahy, President of IT Carlow described the goal for TUSEI as "a leading European technological university recognised for regional connectedness and global impact".
Plans were being compiled in February 2019, and were awaiting financial clarification in May 2019.
Staff of Carlow IT rejected the proposal in June 2019.
In 2019 the Department of Education and Skills rejected requests to cover budget deficits in WIT.
In July 2020, Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science, Simon Harris appointed Tom Boland, of the Higher Education Authority to lead the TU merger bid.
A formal application is expected in May 2021.
Proposal details.
The TU would make use of WIT's five campuses, and IT Carlow's three, including one in Wexford town.