Green Party Senator and candidate for the forthcoming European elections, Deirdre De Burca in a surprise announcement today called for measures to protect other universities, in particular Dublin City University (DCU) from the plans to merge research facilities in Trinity College Dublin (TCD) and University College Dublin (UCD).
She stated this view on the Green Party website urging that the plans for the TCD/UCD research merger must not affect funding for other Dublin colleges, particularly Dublin City University (DCU).
The merger idea between the two Dublin universities was initiated following the foundation of an Innovation Task Force to liaise between the public and private sector and generate ideas to build and support new Irish companies.
Senator De Burca said: “I believe that this merger will help to maximise knowledge and resources between two of Dublin’s leading universities, using Irish research to create new jobs and businesses that will strengthen the economy.
“This is a positive move given the history of high-quality research from both campuses. She further stated ‘however the government must work to ensure that no other college in Dublin is excluded from funding due to the merger. I am particularly concerned that this merger does not deplete funding for Dublin City University, the leading university on the North side of the city”.
This support today of DCU by Senator De Burca is in stark contrast to the history of Green Party criticism of the University when the party was in opposition.
In several Dail exchanges, senior members of the party repeatedly questioned the then FF/PD Government’s view on the management of Dublin City University (DCU) under the current President, Dr Ferdinand Von Prondzynski.
The record reveals that management at the University had attracted considerable criticism from senior Green Party members, Eamon Ryan, TD (now a Minister), Mr Dan Boyle (now a Senator) and Paul Gogarty, TD (the former Education spokesperson), each of whom have repeatedly questioned the actions of the management at the college as to whether the University was in breach of the University’s Act, 1997.
Dail records reveal that the Green Party deputies were very exercised about the actions of DCU management at the time. Paul Gogarty originally asked the Minister for Education and Science what his plans were to investigate ‘allegations that Dublin City University is in breach of the Universities Act, 1997, vis-à-vis the introduction of new disciplinary procedures after consultations with unions in 2002’. The Deputy has also repeatedly questioned the Minister for Education and Science for further clarification on whether DCU was “in breach of the University Act, 1997 and in effect only ‘obey the laws of the land when it suits them’.
He reminded the Minister that SIPTU, the representative Union, had called for a vote of ‘no confidence’ in the Human Resources Department at DCU. The Minister (Noel Dempsey, TD) assured Mr Gogarty that the HEA were satisfied that the “University was properly discharging its responsibilities” under the 1997 Act and was “conducting its affairs at all times in conformity with the laws of the land”. This was despite a Labour Court ruling and a Rights Commissioner ruling to the contrary.
In follow-up Dail exchanges, Paul Gogarty, TD referred to a number of DCU students whom he met and alleged were offered bribes “to drop the Science and Society course” at the University. In the adjournment Debate on the University’s Act, 1997, Paul Gogarty, TD in a comprehensive manner detailed the allegations against the senior management at the College. He detailed how a Labour Court ruling and the Rights Commissioner ruling both adjudicated against the University with regard to the introduction of a controversial Statute on suspension and dismissal of employees at the University. He proceeded to detail allegations against certain members of academic staff at the university in relation to ‘bribery of students’ and DCU management’s failure to address these allegations.
Eamon Ryan, TD also highlighted these serious accusations in his follow up questions to the Minister, Mr Dempsey, when he asked the Minister why fourth year students at the college were repeatedly told that a subject called “science and society’ was non-examinable, although files subsequently obtained under Freedom of Information (FOI) revealed that DCU management knew all along the course was examinable’.
Paul Gogarty, TD went on to ask the reason why ‘DCU students were offered extra marks in an exam’ if they would ‘give evidence against an academic member of staff’.
Former Taoiseach, Bertie Ahern TD was also asked by Mr Gogarty whether the Government made a serious mistake when it passed the University’s Act, 1997 in that there were serious “allegations against universities such as Dublin City University” ‘allegations of bribery and mismanagement’ at the University.
These revelations reveal a considerable u-turn by the Greens in their attitude to and criticism of this northside Dublin college. The Greens are known for accusing other political parties of ‘opportunistic hypocrisy’ but in this case, they need only look in the mirror.
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