No formal negotiations have taken place over Carlow College’s €6m campus

NO formal negotiations have taken place between Carlow Co Council, South East Technological University and Carlow College over the future of the college’s campus valued at around €6 million, it has been confirmed.

Cllr Fergal Browne, who had a copy of the public minutes from the May meeting of SETU’s governing body, said it was “very alarming” to see the details of SETU’s involvement in the Carlow College closure process.

The meeting of the governing body, which took place on 12 May, a week before the announcement that Carlow College was to cease operations over the next two years, was attended by SETU chief operations officer David Denieffe and director of SETU’s strategic initiative Dr Joe Collins.

The minutes state that Dr Collins provided assurances that SETU’s proposed role would be one of ‘oversight only, with no financial burden or operational responsibilities’, with this position supported by confirmation in correspondence received by minister for higher education James Lawless.

The minutes continue: ‘Dr Collins advised that the request from the department is for SETU to act as a conduit only with no operational or academic delivery responsibility during the teach-out period.’ 

Members of SETU’s governing body also expressed concerns about potential issues that might arise during the teach-out period and the potential impact that such matters could have on the reputation of the university.

The minutes were raised at the June meeting of Carlow Municipal District, where cllr Browne reiterated his call from last month’s meeting that a master plan for the future of the campus needs to be drawn up and presented to all stakeholders. He also asked whether any formal negotiations had taken place between council chief executive Coilín O’Reilly, SETU and Carlow College.

Director of services Paula O’Brien confirmed that no such negotiations had taken place.

Cllr John Cassin said the campus is a “hugely significant” building in the centre of Carlow and that there didn’t seem to be a “long-term future plan”, adding that he hoped the president of SETU could present the university’s plans for the site.

Also at the meeting, cllr Adrienne Wallace outlined how she had submitted a written question enquiring about the value of the land and buildings at Carlow College. “I was laughing because I just wanted a figure and I got an essay instead. I think that’s how bureaucrats do business here,” cllr Wallace said.

Cllr Wallace explained that in the response she received from the department, it stated that a significant level of funding would be provided to the college in consideration of the transfer of land, with the level of funding in line with the independent valuation of the site.

“Now I find that a bit contradictory, considering workers have already been dictated their redundancy,” cllr Wallace said, adding: “How could any deal have been struck if we don’t know how much that site is valued at?” 

The valuation figure itself was confirmed at a meeting of the Public Accounts Committee in the Dáil on 18 June, where assistant secretary at the Department of Education Keith Moynes confirmed that an independent valuation of the 17-acre site found it to be “in the order of €6 million”, as previously reported by The Nationalist.

Cllr Wallace’s comments drew a response from the public gallery from minister of state Jennifer Murnane O’Connor, who was at the meeting in anticipation of her brother Ken’s appointment as new mayor of Carlow. Minister Murnane O’Connor said cllr Wallace’s comments were “totally incorrect” before chair of the meeting cllr Paul Doogue warned that there was to be no contribution from those in the public gallery.

Cllr Wallace added that the exact valuation was a matter of significant public interest and said there were still “lots of questions to be asked”.