State will provide ‘significant sum’ to Carlow College

MINISTER for higher education James Lawless has said the state will provide a “significant sum of money” to Carlow College to assist in the transfer of the campus to South-East Technological University (SETU) and that he expects it will be made available when consideration is given to the 87 staff members facing into redundancies.

Minister Lawless made the statement in response to queries in the seanad from Carlow/Kilkenny senator Patricia Stephenson on whether Carlow College staff and union representatives were included throughout the discussions.

Ms Stephenson told the Seanad that 87 members of staff were left shocked by the announcement that the college will phase out operations over the next two years before SETU takes over the buildings and 17-acre campus in Carlow, with redundancy processes expected to begin as early as August.

She said that many staff had believed they would have opportunities for redeployment or transfer to SETU as part of the transition but were told that redundancy was the only path available.

The minister confirmed that a significant sum of money will be paid by the state to Carlow College as consideration for the transfer of its campus to SETU and said it was “fully expected and anticipated” that this would be made available as part of the restructuring process for staff.

He said that he had “strongly encouraged and advocated for full staff engagement at all times, including formally and in writing over the past two years,” and that he had been assured such engagement was taking place and added that his officials were already engaging with trade unions and representative bodies on the matter.

The senator highlighted the case of Dylan Walsh, a 23-year-old student with Duchenne muscular dystrophy who had been offered a place to study psychology at Carlow College. Dylan, who previously had difficulties completing a level 5 course when his carer was unavailable, said travelling to another college outside Carlow is not a realistic option.

Senator Stephenson also raised concerns for students who had enrolled in the college expecting to complete a four-year, level 8 degree but who will now exit with a level 7 qualification, which, she said, could have a significant impact on future employment prospects.

Minister Lawless defended the government’s handling of the situation, stating that Carlow College had approached the state in 2022 in financial difficulty, having operated at a loss for several years.

Minister Lawless said that, without intervention, the college faced a “disorderly collapse” that would have left students without a path to graduation and staff without structural protections.

He said the department had provided over €2.5 million in additional supports to the college since that time and that he met with representatives of both Carlow College and SETU on multiple occasions and had convened a dedicated working group with an independent state-appointed mediator to develop the agreed roadmap.

The roadmap, he said, had been “freely agreed to” and endorsed by the governing authorities of both institutions and that its four main objectives were to protect current students, ensure fair treatment of staff, secure the future educational use of the campus and preserve the college’s heritage and legacy.