Decision on merger of ITT by end of May

A FINAL decision on Institute of Technology Tralee’s stalled plans to merge with CIT is now expected by the end of the month.

The long-running plan to merge the two colleges – a move first mooted in 2009 – suffered a significant setback last year when an International Advisory Panel set up to examine the merger bid found significant issues with the proposal and how it was to be implemented.

In its report, the panel said the colleges’ plan to merge and form a new Munster Technological University (MTU) had a “lack of clear vision and strategy” and “leaves questions unanswered regarding the specifics of how the two applicant institutions are to become one”.

IT Tralee’s outstanding debts of €10million and the “strained relationship” between senior management and the academic staff unions were also cited as issues of concern by the panel

Management of IT Tralee and CIT – who had hoped to enrol students into the MTU by last September – were given six months (from September) to address the panels’ concerns and compile a detailed report for Education Minister Joe McHugh before he made his final decision on granting joint Technological University Status to the two colleges.

Initially the Higher Eduction Authority argued that the six-month deadline suggested by the advisory panel was too short, however, IT Tralee and CIT insisted that they would be able to meet the deadline. The colleges were indeed capable of compiling the report on time and it was submitted, on schedule, at the end of March.

At that point, the Minister was then given 60 days to make a final decision on the merger based on the report.

While the Coronavirus outbreak and uncertainty about the Leaving Cert exams had led to fears a decision on the merger would be delayed, this appears not to be the case.

The minister is expected to announce his decision by May 29 as originally planned.

In recent days students at IT Tralee were given an update on the merger process by the President of the ITT Students’ Union, Petrina Comerford.

In her update, Ms Comerford told students that the process remains on track and that ITT and CIT had submitted the required report to the Minister setting out their compliance with the conditions set down by the legislation that governs Technological Universities.

These documents have since been forwarded to the International Advisory Panel, which had been due to make a return visit to the colleges but was unable to do so due to the to COVID-19 crisis.

To overcome the difficulties created by the virus and the international lock-down, the Higher Education Authority organised a series of virtual meetings with various stakeholder groups, including the advisory panel, and completed all necessary discussions.