I thank the Deputy for raising this very important issue. At the outset, it is important to note that Carlow College, St. Patrick's is and always has been an independent private institution operating outside the State-funded higher education sector. Decisions regarding its strategic direction and governance rest entirely with its own governing body and neither the Minister, Deputy James Lawless, nor I have a role in the appointment of its members. Additionally, as a private institution, Carlow College does not fall under the remit of the Higher Education Authority, whose remit extends to publicly funded higher education bodies. Matters such as staffing, pay and other operational costs are therefore the responsibility of the college itself as an independent employer. Despite its private status, Carlow College has benefited from substantial State support in recent years, including more than €3.1 million in student fee grant assistance, alongside an additional €750,000 annually since 2022. While this support helped address immediate financial challenges, an independent review completed in 2024 found that the college's financial position was not sustainable in the longer term. The intervention recently announced is a necessary response to the imminent risk of a disorderly collapse, which would have had serious implications for students, staff, the wider community and the future of higher education provision in Carlow. The priority of the Minister, and my priority, was to see a solution identified that protected learners, treated staff fairly in difficult circumstances and safeguarded the future educational use of the campus. With this in mind, SETU agreed in 2025 to engage with Carlow College, with support from my Department. This process involved extensive analysis and due diligence and ultimately resulted in a detailed report being provided to both institutions in early 2026. Throughout this engagement, conducted bilaterally between the two institutions, the Department did not prescribe any particular outcome. However, financial considerations were inevitably a key factor, and both governing bodies were required to assess the risks associated with the options available to them. An independent valuation of the college was also carried out in order to establish the level of financial support that could be provided by the State. Throughout these discussions, the interests of staff and students remained the central consideration. Working together, the two institutions agreed an approach designed to protect current learners while also strengthening higher education provision across the region. The model approved by both institutions, and supported by the Department, is a teach-out arrangement that will continue until 2028. This framework provides a clear basis for protecting students, avoiding a sudden closure that could have led to immediate job losses, and ensuring that the campus continues to serve as an important educational resource for Carlow and the south east. During the teach-out period, Carlow College will continue to deliver its academic programmes and will retain full responsibility for its staffing matters and academic governance. At the same time, SETU must operate within sustainable financial parameters and determine staffing needs based on its current and future activities. The planned transfer of the college's lands and buildings to SETU will generate significant State funding for Carlow College, providing essential support for the restructuring process, including measures related to staff. We fully acknowledge the distress and uncertainty experienced by staff, as the Deputy has outlined. The Minister, Deputy Lawless, has heard these concerns directly during meetings with staff representatives and SIPTU, and we understand that constructive engagement between management, staff and trade unions is continuing.
Sentiment score: 0.23
If Deputy Gibney is fair at all, she will accept that a great deal of engagement has already taken place between the Minister, Deputy Lawless, the different institutions, the trade unions and the workers. The Deputy spoke about students there. Every current learner at Carlow College will be able to complete their studies and graduate as planned without disruption or disadvantage. Those are the facts.
Sentiment score: 0.36
I am stating that here in the House tonight on the record. I want it to be true and it needs to be true. I think both of us agree that should be the situation. Commitment, continuity and fairness have guided every step of this process. We have every confidence that formal discussions commenced by Carlow College with their staff and staff representatives will be carried out in a transparent and forthright manner. It is not in my response here, but I did hear what Deputy Gibney spoke about in regard to the transfer of undertakings. That is something I am quite familiar with myself. I will check that out for her. I will ask about that because it is an important point and an important issue, but there is not any information about it here. To be fair, a lot of work has gone into this to try to ensure that staff and students are protected. The Minister, Deputy Lawless, has worked very hard on this. A master plan for the campus will be published in the coming months, and subject to consideration by SETU in consultation with the Department and relevant stakeholders. I do understand the Deputy's real concern on this issue and the people, students and lecturers in Carlow College. I will come back to her with any information I can glean on the transfer of undertakings. To be fair, real consultation and engagement have taken place on this issue.
Sentiment score: 0.23