Fine Gael TD, Deputy Noel Coonan has strongly criticised recommendations from An Bord Snip’s report which he claims will have a huge future impact on the everyday lives of the people of North Tipperary, if implemented.
Speaking to Thurles.Info today Deputy Coonan stated:
“The McCarthy report has begun an unprecedented attack on rural Ireland and in particular on the fabric of life in the midlands and County Tipperary. The proposals to close the Tipperary Institute in Thurles and Clonmel together with the drastic cuts proposed in Agriculture and Environmental Schemes strike at the very heart of the social, and economic well being of the Premier County and if implemented will guarantee untold hardship and pain on the people of Tipperary.
The Tipperary Institute is the rock on which future development of our County depends and as such deserves the support of all elected representatives both in Government and Opposition. Fine Gael has a strong record in relation to the Tipperary Institute. It was Fine Gael in Government who purchased this site under the leadership of Garreth Fitzgerald and the Institute was made a reality under John Bruton as Taoiseach of a Fine Gael led Government. Fine Gael will continue to support the Tipperary Institute.
This attack on our county is not solely confined to McCarthy. The Present Government supported by Fianna Fail, Greens and Independents have agreed to the closure of the District Veterinary Office in Nenagh (despite all the Ri Ra over decentralization). They have implemented a ban on recruitment of students to An Garda Siochanna College, Templemore with the subsequent loss of jobs both directly and indirectly. This is a huge blow to the local economy of Mid Tipperary. These desperate decisions by Fianna Fail and their backers in Government, together with the sheer volume of recommendation in the McCarthy Report highlights the total lack of efficiency and value for money at the heart of Government for the last seven years. The question must now be asked; are the people responsible for this mess, capable of leading us into an economic recovery?”
Just wondering where On Bord SNIP would like those of us who completed our third level education in Tipperary Institute to tell people where we graduated from if the institute closes ?.
I’ve worked with people who graduated from the National Institute of Higher Education in Ireland. Because NIHE was accredited as a third level institution, there’s no doubting the quality of its diplomas and degrees. The same is true for Tipperary Institute.
I don’t think that anyone has or will question the quality of the degrees given by Tipperary Institute. I have completed programmes in both University and Institutes of Technology and Tipperary Inst. was as good if not better as a result of the student/teacher ratio.
However, my problem arises if the college closes where do I tell people that I completed my undergraduate education. In a college that closed ???? I imagine this would make my undergraduate qualification fairy worthless in the eyes of many. Thus, if the college does close as a result of the report I hope someone takes into consideration those of us who have already graduated. Although, I think it would be a shame for Tipperary if the college does close. Particularly North Tipperary as to be fair it doesn’t have a whole lot more going for it. Maybe the campus’s should be amalgamated to Thurles and the college should increase it’s focus on sustainable rural development ( a bit ironic really as the college itself does not appear sustainable !)