Teacher's Pet [IrishTimes]
- Published: 18 May 2011
An insider's guide to education
“Taxigate’’ - as the expenses controversy at Waterford Institute of Technology (WIT) has already been labelled – is not over yet.
It appears Prof Kieran Byrne (right) is set to challenge that decision by the WIT board to refuse him a second term - even though he was nominated by a selection committee earlier this year.
Last week, Byrne was always on the back foot after those revelations about €139,000 on taxis and couriers, the €134,000 on fine art and close to €300,000 in hospitality. Minister for Educaiton, Ruairí Quinn and department secretary general Brigid McManus were briefed on the affair last Tuesday just before details became public. Their judgement? Byrne had to go. Said one senior figure: “The idea of Byrne or his crew being chauffered back and forth to Dublin really sticks in the craw.’’
The problem was that neither the department nor the Higher Education Authority could interfere in the appointments process. But the WIT board was left in no doubt about what the minister wanted.
On Wednesday of last week , Byrne was asked to fall on his sword during a meeting with a senior education official. But he was still digging in.
More behind the scenes contacts are underway this week to persuade Byrne that he should drop all this talk of a legal challenge. Some in the education sector would relish a legal challenge, seeing it as an opportunity to expose the “culture of entitlement’’ in some third-level colleges. The question now? Are there more Taxigate-like scandals lurking in other third-level colleges?
Peter McMenamin, the head of the Teachers Union of Ireland (TUI) should be counting down to his retirement later this year in a relaxed, freewheeling way.
Full Story: www.irishtimes.com
