Make Mayo GMIT campus a unit on its own – proposal to minister

THE possibility of the GMIT campus in Castlebar operating independently is to be raised at ministerial level.

The president of GMIT is to be asked to Mayo to address local councillors, too, and it was suggested at a Castlebar Municipal District meeting today that the Castlebar campus should look to become a unit on its own, with its own funding stream.

The debate on GMIT opened with Councillor Cyril Burke asking that they enquire of GMIT in Galway about their commitment to funding a climbing wall at the Lough Lannagh sports complex in Castlebar.

Outdoor pursuits was a big plan for Castlebar and this would test that commitment, he said.

In response, Councillor Michael Kilcoyne said the Castlebar college should get its own funding stream. Until it did, it would be the 'poor relation' of Galway.

His proposal that they write to the minister asking him to examine it was agreed.

A further proposal from Councillor Donna Sheridan asking the GMIT president to a meeting in Mayo with councillors was also agreed.

Councillor Sheridan commented that what has happened at GMIT is 'a disgrace', with the number of courses being reduced.

All they seem to be doing is 'cut and cut in Castlebar' and it was, she said, time for it to stop. Let Castlebar become a unit in its own right. “It is a fantastic facility.”

There was support for Councillor Sheridan's proposal to ask the GMIT president to come down to Mayo 'and explain what is going on'.