Funding for SETU welcomed

€3.5 Million Funding for Accessibility and Sustainability

Green Councillor Maria Dollard welcomes funding to make local university colleges more accessible and energy efficient

Green Party councillor for Kilkenny, Maria Dollard, has welcomed news of funding for higher education institutions to make their facilities more accessible and energy efficient.

South East Technological University (SETU), which has campuses in Waterford, Wexford, Carlow, and Wicklow, has received over €3.5m under this grant scheme.

Cllr Dollard has over 20 years’ experience teaching and lecturing in Adult Education and has previously lectured in University College Cork (UCC) in the field of Autism Studies.

Cllr Dollard commented;

“I am really pleased to see the funding that has been made available to support universal access and for energy efficiency and decarbonisation upgrades in SETU and other colleges across Ireland. Last year I called for a SETU university campus in Kilkenny, one that is innovative and futuristic, and with this funding I believe SETU will be able to make significant progress in achieving ambitions of universal access, decarbonisation and sustainability. Kilkenny is ideally placed to be a significant campus, located as we are between the large campuses of Waterford and Carlow. The recent welcome investment by Abbott demonstrates the faith a large investor has in Kilkenny and I believe a campus for SETU in Kilkenny is the next big step for us”

“As a former lecturer in UCC, I am also delighted that they have received such a significant allocation of this funding. It is clear to see that higher education facilities in Ireland are moving with the times in terms of accessibility and sustainability.”

A total of €40m has been allocated to third level institutions across the country and can be used for building works to support universal access, energy efficiency upgrades, ICT upgrades, health and safety works and building upgrades.

SETU first opened its doors as the region’s first technological university in May this year, and serves over 18,000 students with over 1,500 staff. SETU has ambitions to grow student numbers to 25,000 with almost 2,000 staff in the next 10 years.

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Legislation to Cap Excess Profits for Energy Companies

By Maria Dollard • September 4, 2023

New bill to combat high electricity costs welcomed by Kilkenny Councillor by Liam Kelly O’Rourke Kilkenny People 01 Sep 2023 4:48 PM Kilkenny Green Party Councillor, Maria Dollard, has welcomed the publication of the Energy (Windfall Gains in the Energy Sector) (Cap on Market Revenues) Bill. The Bill provides a cap on the market revenues genered by non-gas generators in the wholesale electricity market between December 2022 to June 2023. The estimated proceeds from the cap on market revenues are in the range €80 million to €150 million and these will now be retained and used in the electricity sector to provide financial supports to households and businesses affected by high energy prices. Cllr Dollard, commented: "This is good news for Kilkenny consumers who will see the money collected ring fenced to be returned to consumers who have been paying way too much for electricity for a long time now. We need to support those on the lowest incomes. There’s no doubt some people are being hit harder than others and without access to good insulation, bills can be very high for some, especially older people and people with reduced mobility." Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications, Eamon Ryan, claimed the move would 'ease the impact of high energy prices on electricity consumers' and stated he intends to bring this Bill through the Houses of the Oireachtas when the Dáil resumes after the summer recess. https://www.kilkennypeople.ie/news/local-news/1287190/new-bill-to-combat-high-electricity-costs-welcomed-by-kilkenny-councillor.html