Mayo senator's concerns over 'serious' GMIT problems

Questions have been raised in the Seanad about “serious financial, management and governance problems” at the Galway-Mayo Institute of Technology.

The college has also been branded as a “weak link” for proposals for the delivery of a technological university for the eest of Ireland.

Mayo Fine Gael Senator Michelle Mulherin said she wished to raise concerns about the “state of health” of GMIT headquarters and campus in Galway and the likely impact on the Mayo campus in Castlebar.

“I recently received disturbing information from a solid source that there are serious financial, management and governance problems there.

“Some of this is manifested in the decline of certain programmes in which it should be a national leader, such as in hotel and catering management.

“Furthermore, the problems GMIT headquarters is grappling with will present a significant impediment to the delivery of a technological university for West.

“The GMIT Galway campus, and GMIT in general, represents a weak link in the Connacht-Ulster alliance for the delivery of such a technological university.

“This is terrible because if we cannot deliver a technological university in a timely fashion it means rural areas will be lagging behind on a much-needed and valuable third level institute,” she said.

Senator Mulherin said herself and Senators Paddy Burke and John O’Mahony fought very hard for a recovery and sustainable plan for the GMIT Castlebar campus.

“We secured €3.75 million in ring-fenced funding to be spent over five years,” she said.

“I want to welcome the appointment of a new vice president of GMIT, Professor Neville McClenaghan, who will be based in and will look after Castlebar’s interests and who will take up his post in the spring. It has a good academic plan for recovery.”

She said she did not want all this to go down the tubes.

“The future is bright but for this and we all understand the umbrella organisation in Galway can bring the whole ship down,” she added.

“I ask that the Minister be invited in to discuss progress on the delivery of technological universities, to outline the state of health and of play in relation to GMIT headquarters in Galway and to address all the significant and serious issues I have raised today. It is an urgent matter. We cannot afford to be left behind in this regard,” she concluded.