Politicians query handling of Carlow College closure

REPRESENTATIVES from South East Technological University (SETU), Carlow College and the Department of Higher Education came before TDs and senators in Leinster House last week for the Oireachtas committee meeting on the future of Carlow College.

In total, four of Carlow’s six parliamentarians were in attendance at the meeting. The Nationalist sought reaction from each in the aftermath.

Minister of state Jennifer Murnane O’Connor, who was thanked by the college in its closure announcement for her support over the years, said the committee meeting highlighted areas for improvement in terms of communication with staff and students.

“It was clear from the discussions that there are lessons to be learned, particularly around communication and engagement with staff and students. My focus now is on working collaboratively with all involved – Carlow College, SETU, minister Lawless and the department – to secure positive outcomes for students, staff and the future of higher education in Carlow and the wider south-east,” she said.

Minister Murnane O’Connor also confirmed that she has been in discussions with minister for higher education James Lawless and SETU president Professor Veronica Campbell about ensuring the humanities continue to have a strong place in third-level education across the south-east.

Since the announcement of the college’s closure, local TDs from the main opposition parties have expressed strong support for the workers and students there.

Senator Patricia Stephenson of the Social Democrats has been in attendance at multiple public meetings and protests in Carlow over the past two months and has also raised the issue in the Seanad. She described the handling of the closure as “deeply unfair” and called for urgent, full transparency.

“The more I hear about how this has been handled, the more concerned I am. Staff and students have been left carrying the burden of decisions made behind closed doors, with little explanation and even less certainty about what comes next,” senator Stephenson said.

Senator Stephenson also called for the external risk report from Mazars to be published, saying: “If SETU, Carlow College and the Department for Further and Higher Education supported a merger before that report, then the public deserves to understand what changed.” 

Sinn Féin TD Natasha Newsome Drennan echoed calls for the Mazars report to be produced and said there should be a complete pause on everything before that happens.

“We want to see a pause on everything and we need to get that report from SETU,” deputy Newsome Drennan said, adding that minister Lawless “needs to be called into the committee to explain what he knew and when.

“Education institutes are not a money-making business,” deputy Newsome Drennan said. “Society will gain in the long run from the money invested into places like Carlow College,” she said.

Fine Gael TD Catherine Callaghan also raised concerns about the lack of clarity around the timeline of events.

“There is a distinct lack of clarity about the timeline of events. I did ask a parliamentary question to minister Lawless on 9 June asking for a timeline of the negotiations that happened between Carlow College and SETU prior to the announcement on 19 May, and I still have not received an answer. That is highly irregular,” deputy Callaghan stated.

She added that while they were able to ascertain some timeline from the meeting, the critical piece of information about when the conversation switched from being a merger to just a transfer of land and buildings still needed to be clarified.

“I also asked if the Department of Higher Education is going to provide the funding that will be necessary to ensure social care students, who traditionally get the opportunity to upskill with an add-on year to graduate with a level eight degree, will be facilitated in 2028,” deputy Callaghan said.

Deputy Callaghan said she did not get a response to this question but has since followed up with a parliamentary question and is awaiting a reply.

Carlow College staff welcomed the support shown by those on the committee and described the outcome of the meeting as an “important milestone in the campaign for transparency, accountability and a fairer outcome for staff, students and the wider community”.

A spokesperson for staff representatives said: “Today’s hearing marks an important step in our campaign. For the first time, the serious concerns of staff have been examined in a public forum by elected representatives from across the political spectrum. The committee has recognised that important questions remain unanswered and that these issues deserve further scrutiny.

“We are not asking for special treatment; we are asking for fair treatment. We believe we can still achieve a better outcome that better serves the community and higher education in the south-east if there is political will.”