Donegal ATU to benefit from €10.5 million funding allocation

Donegal ATU is set to benefit from the €10.5 million allocated to ATU under the Technological Enhancement Fund.

The funding is part of an overall allocation of €65.8 million for the technological sector and specialist colleges announced by the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science, James Lawless.

Welcoming the announcement, Donegal Minister of State, Charlie McConalogue, said: “This is a significant development for all of the ATU campuses, including Donegal ATU which has continued to expand and evolve, and which is part of the wider ATU structure.”

“Donegal ATU has a played vital part in the development of the economy in Donegal. Just 25 years ago, there were 1,300 students attending the Letterkenny campus while today, it has 5,500 students,” the Minister of State for Sport and Postal Policy added.

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“There has been major investment in Donegal ATU in recent times. The new €41 million veterinary college, which will have its first intake of students in 2026, will be a huge boost to the North-West.

“The sod was turned recently on the new €25 million library and education building by Minister Lawless and these will be excellent additions to the Letterkenny campus when they are constructed.

“Last November, €8.7 million was allocated under the Large Scale Infrastructure Fund for the Letterkenny Regional Sports and Activity Hub. This development, which will cost €17 million, will be located at ATU’s Knocknamona site in Letterkenny,” he said.
The investment of €10.5 million will be used by ATU to advance digital transformation and business intelligence, support student success and engagement, increase professional development opportunities for staff, and support the attainment of Climate Action targets including monitoring of and reporting on Climate Action Roadmaps.

Additionally, the fund will be utilised to support collaborative activities including the development of solutions to enhance academic integrity, enhance TU data infrastructure and business intelligence and prepare for further developments in AI.

“The further development of Donegal ATU is extremely important and this latest funding announcement will be a great help in that regard,” Minister McConalogue commented.