I want to talk about the job losses at Carlow College, St. Patrick's, and the severe impact on students and the regional workforce. The recent announcement of the phased wind-down and closure of Carlow College over a two-year period marks a devastating blow to higher education in Carlow.
Initially, staff and students expected that the college would merge under the South East Technology University, SETU, umbrella. I recently visited the campus and spoke directly to those affected by this decision. There is genuine shock and disbelief about the closure. There is an attempt from the Government to play down the reality that there may be 87 staff members facing redundancies with a phased termination process beginning as early as August. This decision has come as a shock to staff who were given absolutely no prior consultation or engagement.
There are many questions on this issue. On what date did the Department or SETU formally advise Carlow College's senior management that staff and programmes would not be transferring into SETU? At what point did the Minister notify Carlow College and advise that it engage with staff? Was formal notice given to the Central Applications Office that Carlow College would not be in a position to accept students for the coming academic year? Was an independent valuation conducted on Carlow College's lands and buildings? What were the terms of agreement transferring this multimillion euro asset to SETU? What exactly what the Minister's understanding of the original merger plan? Why did we have a complete pivot on that? Will there be transparency on staff layoffs in August to prevent operational disruption when the semester opens in September? Will there be ring-fenced funding for Carlow College's tailored student supports, which serve an exceptionally diverse and non-traditional student body? Will there be unnecessary duplication of expenditure involved in dismantling an established highly successful infrastructure just to recreate it at SETU? What will happen to those students who are expecting to do a four-year degree and come out with a level 8 qualification who will now only come out with a level 7 and have to do one year less?
According to replies at a meeting of the public accounts committee to Deputy Paul Murphy, there is an asset, which is the buildings, and this will be used to look after staff redundancies. What is the worth of this asset? Why can it not be used to integrate, or at least give the choice to integrate, staff into SETU? The Department claims that student welfare is paramount, yet redundancies will be announced in August - a week before the September term begins. I spoke to students who said that because of the nature and smallness of Carlow College, they were given a chance at the college. This closure is being felt by the neurodivergent community. The smaller class sizes and tight knit, friendly, personalised environment meant that many students with additional needs thrived. This small group learning meant that there was a reduction in sensory overload and academic anxiety compared with larger impersonal university settings. Where will these students find a place where they can thrive and flourish? The planned wind-down of Carlow College requires strict adherence to CORU regulations for students in the BA on applied social studies and the professional social care. This means that the degree programme remains fully accredited and recognised for statutory registration as long as the student completes it within a two-year period. Why are students not told of this sooner, so they may choose to not start in the first place? If a student is entering year two in September, this means that they face a very tight timeline because of the wind-down, which has to be done fully by 2028. A standard four-year BA track cannot be completed on the Carlow campus in its current form. What will happen to those students?
