Due diligence report raised 'concerns' before Carlow College integration collapsed, committee told

THE Oireachtas Committee on Higher and Further Education heard yesterday (Wednesday) that a due diligence report examining the feasibility of Carlow College integrating with South East Technological University (SETU) contained analysis that was of some concern to senior management in the university.

The joint committee met to examine the future of Carlow College, which is to wind down operations over a two-year teach-out period, with SETU set to take over its 17-acre campus in the town centre – which the department confirmed as being valued at approximately €6.1 million. In total, 87 staff face redundancy.

For several years, staff, students and local representatives had understood the college was heading toward integration with SETU, however, the plan did not go ahead. Instead, staff and students found out on 19 May that the college would close.

Under questioning about the timeline of events, SETU President Veronica Campbell told the committee the full detailed report of due diligence, carried out by Mazars consultancy firm, was first seen by SETU in an “interim capacity” in November 2025, before the final form was provided in February 2026, adding that there were “some concerns in the analysis”. However, she did not elaborate further as to what those concerns were.

The committee has requested that the full report be provided in due course.

In the first session of the meeting, Carlow College staff and SIPTU representatives outlined that staff had no direct engagement with the Minister for Further and Higher Education James Lawless at any point in the process, and were first informed of the closure on 19 May, the same day the decision was announced publicly.

Dr Sarah Otten, who is SIPTU shop steward and has lectured at the college for over 20 years, said she “could not understand” why the process moved from integration to a full closure.

Dr Otten said she was committed to the ethos of the college and wanted to ensure its future, adding “I thought there was an open conversation happening and that is why I was so shocked on 19 May.” In the second session, attended by representatives from the senior management of both Carlow College and SETU, as well as department officials, Carlow College President, Fr Ó Maoldhomhnaigh told the committee that the college’s board worked “night and day” to secure integration, however, it became clear that this was not a possibility sometime at the end of April.

He said that the decision not to share the information about the college’s closure with staff and students when it first became clear was due to the college’s exams beginning in early May.

“I said it would be irresponsible to put their [students] health and wellbeing at risk by announcing it before the exams finished,” Fr Ó Maoldhomhnaigh said.

When asked by Fianna Fáil TD Dee Ryan about who made the decision to withhold the information from staff until 19 May, Fr Ó Maoldhomhnaigh said it was made by him and the college’s senior management team.

“I have since met at least 70 students who appreciated the fact we did that,” Fr Ó Maoldhomhnaigh said, adding that 19 May was “one of the blackest days” of his life.

Labour Party Senator Laura Harmon asked Fr Ó Maoldhomhnaigh if it was true Minister Lawless asked the college’s senior management to hold a series of public meetings with the staff earlier in the year, that would outline the nature of the situation.

Fr Ó Maoldhomhnaigh outlined that he had been encouraged to talk to staff at an earlier date but was not sure what to say in these meetings, as he could neither confirm nor deny whether redundancies were imminent.

Fr Ó Maoldhomhnaigh said he met with Minister Lawless in December where a memo stating cabinet had agreed an integration policy was presented to him.

“That was our clear understanding,” Fr Ó Maoldhomhnaigh said, adding that he then relayed this information to staff in his annual Christmas address email.

However, Assistant Secretary at the Department of Higher Education, Mr Keith Moynes, disputed this assertion and said he could not recall the Minister ever making such a statement in the December meeting.

Carlow/Kilkenny Senator Patricia Stephenson told the committee that Carlow College staff had spent some time in recent months co-developing course materials and modules intended for delivery through SETU in the following academic year, in the belief that their roles would continue. She said SETU, in effect, had gained some of the academic IP from the staff at Carlow College, before the decision on integration had been finalised or communicated to them.

Toward the end of the meeting, Professor Campbell said that SETU would be “very keen” on exploring the possibility of putting student accommodation on the Carlow College site when the buildings and lands are transferred to the university in August 2028.