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Maynooth University has today welcomed a capital grant of €25 million from Government for a major new building project to support the University’s rapidly growing student population.
This is the largest capital grant awarded to Maynooth University.
The Minister for Education and Skills, Joe McHugh, TD, and the Minister of State for Higher Education Mary Mitchell O’Connor T.D. today announced a €25 million contribution from the Higher Education Strategic Infrastructure Fund (HESIF), which will, along with €32 million in university and EIB funds, deliver a landmark €57 million campus project.
The project comprises a new 10,554 m2 academic building, to open in late 2020. This forms part of a wider plan to modernise and expand a further 5,670 m2 of the existing Arts and Sciences buildings, for completion by 2021.
Welcoming the announcement, Professor Philip Nolan, President of Maynooth University, said: “This is landmark development project designed to keep pace with rapidly growing student numbers in the country’s fastest growing region, and to support the research and innovation skills needed to face fundamental societal challenges.”
Prof Nolan continued: “Maynooth University has seen significant growth in our student enrolment, and the output of skilled graduates across a range of disciplines is vital to balanced regional and national economic development, and critical in addressing the major challenges of the twenty-first century. This funding will provide much-needed physical infrastructure that will allow Maynooth University to play a vital role in the national context to respond to these challenges.”
Maynooth University is Ireland’s fastest growing university. While serving students from all corners of Ireland and internationally, MU has played a particularly important role in meeting the rapidly growing demographic demand for higher education in the Mid-East, Midlands and the western edge of the Dublin metropolitan area.
Formally established as an autonomous university in 1997, Maynooth has tripled its enrolment to almost 13,000 students from at least 90 countries, and is ranked among the top 50 global universities under 50 years old in the Times Higher Education (THE) Young University Rankings.
Prof Nolan concluded: “This infrastructural project will further support Maynooth University’s research and innovation in areas vital to economic, social and environmental challenges, including climate science, environmental science, artificial intelligence, regional and urban planning, smart cities, the future of work, as well as services innovation, public policy and social change. We welcome this important announcement from Government and its recognition of the important role Maynooth University plays in these areas of national and international significance.”
Cuireann Ollscoil Mhá Nuad fáilte roimh dheontas caipitil de €25 milliún ón Rialtas do ‘Shochaí Theicneolaíochta agus Tionscadal Nuálaíochta’ Nua
Déardaoin 29 Lúnasa 2019
Chuir Ollscoil Mhá Nuad fáilte inniu roimh dheontas caipitil de €25 milliún ón Rialtas do mhórthionscadal tógála nua chun tacaíocht a thabhairt do líon na mac léinn atá ag méadú go sciobtha.
D’fhógair an tAire don Oideachas agus Scileanna, Seosamh Mac Aoidh, TD, agus an tAire Stáit don Ardoideachas Máire Mistéil Ní Chonchubhair, TD, inniu deonachán de €25 milliún don Chiste um Infreastruchtúr Straitéiseach san Ardoideachas (HESIF), a bheidh mar chúis, chomh maith le maoiniú de €32 milliún ón ollscoil féin agus ón mBanc Eorpach Infheistíochta, le tionscadal campais sainiúil de luach €57 milliúin a sholáthar.
Is éard atá i gceist leis an tionscadal ná foirgneamh acadúil 10, 554 m2 nua, a osclóidh go déanach sa bhliain 2020. Is mar chuid de phlean níos leithne é seo chun na foirgnimh ealaíon agus eolaíochtaí a nua-aoisiú agus a shíneadh 5,670 m2 eile, agus é ceapaithe bheith curtha i gcrích roimh dheireadh na bliana 2021.
Agus fáilte á cur aige roimh an bhfógra seo, dúirt an tOllamh Pilib Ó Nualláin, Uachtarán Ollscoil Mhá Nuad: “Is tionscadal forbartha sainiúil é seo deartha chun go gcoimeadfaimid suas le líon na mac léin atá ag fás go fíor-sciobtha sa reigiún a bhfuil an borradh is mó air sa tír, agus chun tacaíocht a thabhairt do na scileanna taighde agus nuálaíochta a theastaíonn go géar ionas gur féidir linn aghaidh a thabhairt ar dhúshláin bhunúsacha sa tsochaí.”
Lean an tOllamh Ó Nualláin air ag rá: “Tá sé tugtha faoi deara againn anseo in Ollscoil Mhá Nuad go bhfuil méadú suntasach tagtha ar líon na mac léinn ar rolla againn agus is fíor-thábhachtach é líon ár gceimithe oilte a sheolaimid amach sa saol thar réimse de dhisciplíní do fhorbairt eacnamaíochta aitiúil agus náisiúnta atá go hiomlán conthromaithe agus d’aghaidh a thabhairt ar mhórdhúshláin ár linne. Cuirfidh an maoiniú seo infreastruchtúr fisiciúil a bhfuil géarghá leis ar fáil dúinn agus ciallaíonn sé seo go mbeidh ról fíor-thábhachtach ag Ollscoil Mhá Nuad sa chomhthéacs náisiúnta chun gur féidir linn na dúshláin seo a fhreagairt.”
Is í Ollscoil Mhá Nuad an ollscoil a bhfuil an borradh is mó ag teacht uirthi in Éirinn. Fad is atáimid ag freastal ar mhic léinn ó cheann ceann na tíre agus an domhain, tá OMN tar éis ról an-lárnach a ghlacadh nuair a thagann sé chomh fada le freastal ar éileamh déimeagrafach atá ag fás go sciobtha ar ardoideachas sa lár-oirthear, i lár na tíre agus ar an imeall thiar de mhórcheantar Bhaile Átha Cliath.
Bunaithe go foirmeálta mar ollscoil fhéinrialaitheach sa bhliain 1997, tá an líon ar rolla méadaithe faoi thrí go dtí nach mór 13,000 mac léinn ó 90 tír ar a laghad, agus tá sí rangaithe i measc an 50 ollscoil faoi 50 bliain d’aois is fearr ar domhan i Rangú na nOllscoileanna Óga ó Times Higher Education.
Chríochnaigh an tOllamh Ó Nualláin a chuid cainte ar an ábhar seo ag rá: “Tabharfaidh an tionscadal infreastruchtúir seo tuilleadh tacaíochta do thaighde agus nuálaíocht Ollscoil Mhá Nuad i réimsí atá ríthábhachtach do dhúshláin eacnamaíocha, sóisialta agus thimpeallachta, lena n-áirítear eolaíocht aeráide, eolaíocht an chomhshaoil, intleacht shaorga, pleanáil réigiúnach agus uirbeach, cathracha cliste, todhchaí na hoibre, chomh maith le nuáil seirbhíse, beartas poiblí agus athruithe sóisialta. Cuirimid fáilte roimh an bhfógra tábhachtach seo ón Rialtas agus roimh an aitheantas a théann leis go bhfuil Ollscoil Mhá Nuad i gcroílár na réimsí seo ar thábhacht náisiúnta agus idirnáisiúnta.”
For further information see https://www.education.ie/en/Press-Events/Press-Releases/2019-press-releases/PR19-08-30.html
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