On 30 April 2021, the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science received an application for designation as a technological university from the consortium comprising Institute of Technology Carlow and Waterford Institute of Technology.

In accordance with the procedures as set out in the Technological Universities Act, 2018, the Minister appointed an expert Advisory Panel to assess the application and to prepare a report summarising its findings as to the compliance of the consortium with the eligibility criteria within the Act. The review of the application by the Advisory Panel was completed virtually in July 2021.

Having considered the Report of the Advisory Panel and the supporting views of the Higher Education Authority (HEA) and other matters as set out in the Act, the Minister notified the consortium in December 2021 of his decision to postpone the granting of the application and stipulating conditions which the consortium must satisfy in order to be designated by 1 May 2022. The Minister tasked the HEA with undertaking the assessment of the evidence presented by the consortium to demonstrate compliance with the specified conditions.

The consortium provided a formal submission to the HEA in early January 2022 addressing the conditions set by the Minister and met with a specially convened sub-committee of the HEA to discuss the evidence presented. The findings of the HEA sub-committee were presented to the wider HEA on 25 January 2022 and conveyed to the Minister on 26 January 2022.

The Minister formally communicated his decision to grant the application for technological university status on 11 February 2022, following his consideration of the report of the HEA and consultation with Qualifications and Quality Ireland (QQI).

South East Technological University was established on 1 May 2022, and became the fifth technological university in the State. TU Dublin was established on 1 January 2019, Munster TU on 1 January 2021, TU Shannon: Midlands Midwest on 1 October 2021, and Atlantic TU on 1 April 2022.