Education Minister briefed on new Mayo GMIT concerns

MAYO Fine Gael Senator Michelle Mulherin has raised fresh concerns over the Mayo GMIT Campus with the Minister for Education Richard Bruton, calling for no changes to staff or student arrangements to be made while the GMIT Working Group completes its report.

She stated: 'I am very concerned that between 12 and 15 staff have been asked via their union to transfer voluntarily to Galway within three to four weeks. Should they refuse, they will be added to the redeployment panel, and may be asked to transfer to any location within the higher education sector.

“Additionally, I have received reports that a number of students who are about to enter the fourth year of the construction studies course have been advised in writing that the only option available to them to complete the course is by transferring to the Galway campus.

'I have also received complaints that ideas being brought forward by staff in Castlebar for new courses or the expansion of existing courses are being stymied and ignored by management.

“The Minister for Education and Skills has assured me that the government is fully committed to the Castlebar campus. What management is doing is very serious because the work of public representatives such as myself and Fine Gael colleagues is being undermined.

“It is premature because no such decisions should be made until the working group has concluded its work.

'I have flagged this matter with Minister Bruton and I raised it again with him at the meeting of the Fine Gael parliamentary party last night.”