The politically chosen path, linking WIT with Carlow IT and creating a new Wexford campus to form SETU, is complicated and as yet without the funding, borrowing powers or organizational structures of a complete university

It would be far better if South East TDs questioned the national allocation of resources rather than flogging the 'everything is going to Waterford' hare

The recent designation of 'Best place to live in Ireland' didn’t fall from the skies; much good work is going on

The work on the small plaza surrounding the Clock Tower is nearing completion. It looks terrific. It’s another step on the way towards properly presenting the quays.

In the context of the revision of the National Development Plan we might consider the cost of connectivity

The days of accepting doled-out crumbs are over... hopefully M/s Cummins and Butler appreciate that

In the words beloved of those kicking the can, we will have another review!

The investment, while enormously positive for Waterford, does not close the acute hospital capital funding disparity between UHW and other Model 4 hospitals by one cent

This Frisby development has put it up to government to stop the disgraceful suppression of third-level facilities in Waterford and give the city the university it has long sought and needed

In a choice between emergency action and persistence with literally grotesque time-lines, the council denies our difficult reality and chooses Mr Plod

Regular readers will know that this column has criticised urban decay, neglect, dereliction and their first cousin, lack of investment in Waterford for as long as the column is in existence

After nearly 20 years, it will be great to see building development at SETU Cork Road, even though much of the excitement over this announcement has been sucked out of it by terrible delay

The Viking Triangle has stabilized the most historic part of the city centre and is slowly but surely attracting visitor numbers

Even allowing for problems in project procurement, missed government deadlines are hardly new for Waterford

We must take issue with politics that direct capital spending

What is noticeable since the formation of our new government is the almost deathly silence that has fallen over Waterford projects

The HSE was meant to deliver efficiency, but there were no job losses, everything pre-existing was simply rolled into one unwieldy new organisation

Now comes the hard part, to deliver on expectations John Cummins has created around his stated access to power and ability to deliver

Will Waterford get what it deserves now or will the song remain the same

Phoenix' weekly column for Waterford News & Star

Waterford is in a beauty competition with other urban areas for business and commerce

History has shown us we have no guarantee of our place in the Irish urban rankings

A seat at Cabinet is a must, without it our voice won’t be heard

Who in opposition will hold the Government's feet to the fire in the Daíl for Waterford

Despite the Ireland 2040 strategy in the National Plan, which says that all cities are equal, some cities are more equal than others

Excuses about Covid, about PPP, about the price of concrete or the procurement process for state-funded investment are all excuses for Fine Gael’s failure to do what they promised to do in 2018

The National Planning Framework to 2040 proposes spending approximately €7,000 per head in Waterford and €19,000 per head in Dublin, the land of €350,000 bike sheds and €1.4m security huts

For 20 years between 1985 and 2005 as secretary of the Waterford University Action Group Ollie Clery spent an inordinate amount of his time and probably an uncountable amount of his own money pushing the idea of a university for Waterford

While tourism is developing in the Viking Triangle, perceived and real difficulties in accessing the historic core have undermined the vitality of the city centre

The impenetrable bureau-speak that accompanies HSE responses testifies to the “sweets in a jar” nature of its capital development process

It is patently obvious that most of the wages and salaries paid to commuters does not find its way back to the city in retail spend

Those who believe that the development of our North Quays is an adequate return for five years in government reinforce the notion that Waterford is not entitled to the same level of investment as its peers

Extrapolating from a low turn-out, local, personality-driven election to a national issues full-on general election is a dangerous gamble

The margarine spread of campuses and suggestion that almost every place is a university town is dangerous rhetoric

When a national plan is devised as in Ireland 2040, it should be delivered, regardless of who is in power.  Has Ireland any such thing as apolitical delivery? Is voting in Ireland a transactional arrangement? We vote for you, you do something for us.

The level of investment elsewhere makes Waterford seem like it's in a different country

In Waterford the urban fabric is very fragile and has suffered for many years from a conspicuous lack of investment

Our docile government reps seem unable to make a stand for Waterford

'P**s or get off the pot. Give us our new engineering building!'

When government wants to act, they pull rabbits out of the hat