|
|
 Seamus O'Farrell, Mike Pearson, Wray Platt Gurteen Farm Manager, Michael White Teagasc Reps, Bill Condon, all who attended a recent Cross Compliance event at Gurteen College. Speaking at last week’s Agriculture Committee meeting, Deputy Noel Coonan questioned the Director of Teagasc, Professor Gerry Boyle, on the provision of additional staff and facilities at Gurteen College, to accommodate some of the 250 applicants that were turned down this year.
The North Tipperary and South Offaly TD said: “It is an ill wind that blows no good and the current recession has put the focus on agriculture; which is now perceived by many as the main hope to bring the country out of the mess it is in. I recently spoke with Mike Pearson, Manager of Gurteen College, who told me that he could provide at least a further 100 courses at the establishment if he had the staff and facilities to so do. While Gurteen College is a private institution, I am concerned about budget cutbacks and the inability to provide course places to young people who are crying out for them. A number of young people in my constituency were greatly disappointed when they were unable to secure a place in Gurteen and Mr. Pearson has told me that he could deliver the courses, were he given the resources to so do.”
In response to the Deputies queries, Prof. Boyle said the crux of the issue is the Government’s ban on recruitment. Teagasc’s Director commented: “I probably had representations from the people who contacted the Deputy in regard to admission to the college this year. There was excess demand for places and I regret very much that we had to turn down 250 applicants which is something we never had to do before, purely because we did not have the teaching staff to accommodate the students. The reason is very simple; it is not a policy of Teagasc, rather, it concerns the moratorium. If we were to get external funding for teachers from a generous co-operative or company which said it wanted to support a particular college and sub-vent a number of teachers; we would still not be able to recruit staff under the moratorium. The biggest difficulty we are facing is in dealing with the moratorium on recruitment.”
This means that if Gurteen College loses teachers through early retirement, illness or maternity leave for example, they now cannot hire a teacher. The local Fine Gael TD, who is a member of the Joint Committee on Agriculture, Fisheries and Food and also F G Party Spokesperson on CAP Reform, said he will continue to lobby the Government to provide additional resources in order to keep our vibrant rural economy alive.
 Bart Simpson Activity on our Website indicates that students and parents are checking if schools are open tomorrow.
So far as we are aware at this present time and date, all schools will be open throughout the County of Tipperary tomorrow.
We have had several calls in the past hour in relation to this query. It would appear that readers are mistakenly paying attention to a blog posted on January 6th 2010.
So you students get those books and school bag ready and the homework finished. (Tell mum to cut the crusts off the bread.)
On the other hand, a little prayer, Bart Simpson style, just before bed could work miracles. Remember Lisa Simpson’s remark, “Prayer is the last refuge of a scoundrel.”
Seriously: Please do check the date here at base of the original report.
 The Department of Education and Skills (DES) has just issued Circular 67/2010 outlining procedures for filling teaching vacancies that arise during the remainder of the 2010/11 school year. The procedures at primary level mean that any permanent teaching vacancies, with the exception of school principal and deputy principal posts, that arise between 1st December 2010 and the end of the school year may be filled only on a temporary basis.
This means that where the appointment process has not been completed by Wednesday next, 1st December, a permanent post will not be sanctioned by the DES.
The Circular is framed in the context of the announcement on Wednesday regarding a reduction in teacher numbers for the next school year and the consequential impact this will have on teacher redeployment panels. The CEC is holding a special meeting next Saturday to consider all the issues arising from the National Recovery Plan announced by the Government on Wednesday last.
To read full contents of Circular 67/2010 click Here
 Tipperary Institute Labour Party Cllr Emer Costello announced that “The Lord Mayor’s Commission on Employment” has successfully joined forces with the Tipperary Institute to secure 20 places for unemployed craft-workers in the Dublin City Council Administrative Area in an exciting project CESBEM II (Competence Enhancement in Sustainable Building Through European Mobility).
The CESBEM II Project has received European funding under the Lifelong Learning, Leonardo Da Vinci (People in the Labour Market) Programme.
CESBEM II is aimed at those in the construction Sector and provides upskilling in the field of energy efficiency in buildings. Training will be hosted by *KOMZET Germany, Centre of Vocational Excellence in Energy Efficiency in Buildings, with a special emphasis on timber construction. The training in Germany is planned to last for 2 weeks. Twenty people from Dublin will participate in the project which will commence in February 2011. Preparation for participants will consist of approximately 40 hours training in German language and culture.
Application forms are available from the Economic Development Department, Floor 3, Block 4, Civic Offices, D8. ( Tel : 222 0100 or email : edu@dublincity.ie ) or can be downloaded here
The closing date for completed applications is 13th December, 2010.
Support Provided
The following support will be provided to participants ;
– Travel Costs
– Accommodation and Subsistence Costs
– Language and Cultural Training
– Technical Training Costs
Tipperary Institute will provide all travel documents (tickets etc.) and work with KOZMET to arrange accommodation and subsistence facilities. Participants will NOT be able to make their own travel or accommodation arrangements as these will all be managed by Tipperary Institute and KOZMET.
Tipperary Institute Student’s Union will present local TD Michael Lowry with a petition of over 500 signatures from students, who are opposing proposed cuts to Higher Education in the December Budget.
Delegates from the local students’ union will present Deputy Lowry with the petition at his constituency office on Abbey Road in Thurles at 2.00pm on Monday November 15th next.
USI is now intensifying its campaign against registration fee hikes and decreases to the student maintenance grant by urging students nationwide to lobby their local TDs ahead of the upcoming Budget.
The vast majority of students from the Institute travelled to Dublin last week for the national protest march organised by the Union of Students in Ireland (USI).
The students of Tipperary Institute refuse to be easy targets in the Budget and are sending a clear message to elected representatives that education is the key to Ireland’s economic recovery.
USI will continue to campaign tirelessly against any cuts to Higher Education, which will mean further devastation to the Irish economy.
Darragh Scott, President of Tipperary Institute, stated:
“The students at Tipperary Institute are strongly opposed to any further increases in the already inflated Registration Fee. If the fee is hiked any more, many students at this college will be forced to abandon education. This petition was drawn up in an attempt to drive home the message that local students just simply cannot afford to pay any more money at the start of each college year. They are already struggling to meet the costs of their third level education in the current recession.”
Gary Redmond, USI President, stated:
“The students of Tipperary Institute are anxious about possible cuts to education in the upcoming Budget. Many local students are highly dependent on the student maintenance grant to cover the costs of going to college. If the Government decide to cut the student maintenance grant, or hike up the registration fee next month, many of these students will have no choice but to drop out of their courses. By presenting Michael Lowry with this petition, we are asking him to support the students of Tipperary, and the students of Ireland, by preserving existing third level education in planning this Budget.”
Regarding the aforementioned Mr Gary Redmond, an image depicting him among members of Ógra Fianna Fail UCD, with Thurles born Mary Hanifin TD, next to a banner encouraging students to ‘VOTE FIANNA FÁIL FOR JOBS’ has now embarrassingly surfaced. Since recent shocking events outside the Department of Finance, and Mr Redmond’s total refusal to condemn claimed assaults made upon his own student membership, serious questions about the true ideology of Mr. Redmond’s sincerity in supporting the student cause, now greatly abound.
|
Support Us Help keep Thurles.info online by donating below. Thank you.
Total Donated 2026: €300.00
Thank You!
Daily Thurles Mass Livestream
|
Recent Comments