The Minster for Justice, Mr McDowell, has added his voice to calls for the establishment of a university in the south east of the country.
Waterford Institute of Technology (WIT) has been touted as suitable for upgrading to university status. Speaking to reporters after giving a speech there this morning, Mr McDowell said making a case for a university must be more than "cosmetic".
He said: "I myself believe that in the south-eastern region between Kilkenny, Wexford and Waterford, there is a future for a proposal to transform the existing third-level infrastructure in to something more elaborate and I would be the last to say that the march towards university status is to be cut off at the pass."
But he acknowledged that a final decision would be one for the Government guided by the Minister for Education.
Waterford's relatively limited economic development has often been compared to Galway which increased its population by over 20,000 since 1986, while Waterford's has increased by barely 5,000 over the same period.
Incomes are around 20 per cent below the national average and unemployment is above the national average.
The presence of a university in Galway and the absence of one in Waterford is regarded as a significant factor in the disparity. Only 24 per cent of the city's population holds a third-level qualification, compared to 42 per cent in Galway.
The Minster for Transport, Mr Cullen, who is a TD for Waterford, last week said: "A university is vital if the city and the region are to fully exploit their economic and social potential".
He was speaking at conference organised by Waterford Chamber of Commerce where Dr Ed Walsh, Professor Emeritus of Limerick University, advocated a university centred in Waterford with satellite campuses in Wexford and Kilkenny.