The Government’s influential cost-cutting body dubbed “An Bord Snip Nua”, charged with finding billions in savings across all Government departments and the public sector, made its report public today.
The published report however brought what has been described as cataclysmic news for the Co. Tipperary towns of Thurles and Clonmel, with the recommendation that Tipperary Institute should be abolished as part of proposed rationalisation measures.
Vol.2. Page 69 of the report reads as follows:
D.2 Rationalisation of third level institutions
At present, Ireland has 7 universities, 14 institutes of technology and over 20 other third level educational institutions feeding into the CAO, many of which are comparatively small by international standards. Given the size and population of the country, there is scope to reduce the number of third level institutions. An Bord Snip now proposes the following rationalisation measures:
1. Abolition of the Tipperary Rural and Business Development Institute (TRBDI)
The case for the continued existence of TRBDI is weak. The institute is located near two other IoT’s and has a high complement of staff (100) compared to the number of full-time students (338). The Group recommends that the institution be closed with existing students re-assigned to nearby IoT’s. The campus should be disposed of for the benefit of the Exchequer.
The present development work of the Tipperary Institute includes promoting sustainable social and economic development through providing assistance, advice, mentoring, consultancy, research and training services to communities and businesses in the region, throughout Ireland, and across Europe. Areas of work include community planning and development, business planning and development, environmental management, software development, information and communications technology development and applications, personal development, public sector management, training and research.
Local Independent TD, Deputy Michael Lowry, who presently supports the present Coalition Government, stressed that the report is only a recommendation and not a final political decision.
The Bord, whose official title is the “Special Group on Public Service Numbers and Expenditure Programmes” (SGPSNEP), was chaired by economist Colm McCarthy, assisted by liaison officer Donal McNally, who is Second Secretary General at the Department of Finance. The other members of the Bord include Maurice O’Connell, former Governor of the Central Bank, WilliamSlattery, MD of State Street International, Mary Walsh, a former partner at PriceWaterhouseCoopers, Pat McLaughlin, former Deputy CEO of the Health Services Executive supported by Dept. of Finance officials.
I don’t think the government should suppress Third Level Institutions.
I think the government should help more people to access the Third Level Education system, no matter what age or what background people come from. More support in every area, financially, disabilities, families and children, better education for everybody. Help for people who really want to improve their lives, not to put more obstacles on the way.
Ana, I totally agree. According to the 1841 census taken in Ireland prior to the Great Famine, 60% of the Irish nation lived in abject poverty. E.g. A town in Co. Donegal with a population of 6,000 people had between them 12 chairs, 36 beds and 232 three legged stools. Within 160 years Ireland had risen from this poverty to being the fifth richest economy in the world. When we try to establish the reasons for this sudden rise in fortune, we learn, quite quickly, that education was the sole reason for this change. This education of course was provided by the Christian Brothers, Sisters of Charity etc, etc whom we now choose to persecute because of the actions of a few, using the Henry VIII system of “dissolving the Monastery’s”. Henry, as you know, also requested that monastry’s provide full details of their assets which he squandered, as will this present FF coalition government. History also shows us that an uneducated people can be more easily controlled. Now for the first time I think I can truly understand why ‘peasants’ behaved as they did during the French Revolution. Leave education alone and raise taxes from those who enjoy special political exemptions. E.G The Race Horse industry will do for a start.
This is a very limited report prepared by very limited people, based only on cost with no reference to benefit or value/value lost. Just have to look at the profile of the panel: an economist(thank goodness -where would we be without them), 2nd sec,. Dept of Finance(very impressive), former Gov of Central Bank (bet he’s happy to be ‘former’)MD of a bank (wouldn’t put that on my CV), an accountant (thank goodness – my confidence is restored!), former HSE Dep CEO (Yippee!) and a team of Dept Finance officials, just to add a bit of humour and colour. Who picked this bunch. I think they deliberatly left out the people who know the value rather than cost of something. The people of Thurles, Clonmel and Tipperary will keep Tipperary Institute whatever it takes, because it is an essential part of our future and has become part of our identity as Tipperary and Irish people.
I can’t believe this is happening. I have lost my job over a year ago and tried to get back to employment and no hope. Went to FAS to try and get on a course that might help me to succeed in getting employment and no hope from them at all. I succeeded in getting a place as a mature student in the institute I have a young family and the institute is near for me to get to and a course I felt very positive about and great hopes for the future. If this happens I do not know where to turn. I hope this does not happen and for the Institute to stay open to help other people like me as a mature student to succeed in furthering my education and training and for the younger students in there goals to archive a brighter future for themselves and to be ready for when the up turn happens. This government is stepping way back and the down turn will passby all of us, just like the Celtic tiger passed me. I do hope the government sees the brighter and bigger picture.
I totally agree with Daniel. I am doing a bachelor of business (going into my 2nd year) after raising my children. My old qualifications included typing on a manual typewriter.
I chose the Tipp Institute in Thurles because it was small, I can’t face going to a big college like LIT, so I’ll be on the dole for the rest of my life if they close this facility. How is that saving money??
The Snip report is a joke, it only attacks the poor, the old or children with learning difficulties – where are the cuts in pay for the TD’s and government? If we all have to chip in, where is their contribution?
They have given no thought to the future mess these cuts will produce. What international business is going to move here when our education standards fall?
As this report has been developed by bankers and finance people – the very people who got us into this mess – should we trust their advice? They are just pampering to what the government wanted to do, they just needed someone else to say it, so they can wash their hands of responsibility.