Photo: Pearse Doherty TD
Calls are mounting for the reversal of a planned move of the Donegal Education Support Centre from Donegal Town to Letterkenny.
The controversial move was the subject of a public gathering yesterday in Donegal Town, during which staff concerns were to the fore.
Staff who have worked at the centre for almost two decades have been upset by the 100km daily commute they will soon have to face.
Their concerns are now due to be raised with the Minister for Education.
Speaking after the meeting, Donegal Sinn Féin TD Pearse Doherty said: “The massive turnout at last night’s public meeting leaves the Director of the Donegal Education Centre and the Minister for Education with no option but to reverse the decision they made to move the Donegal Education Centre from Donegal Town to Letterkenny.
“This decision makes no sense to me especially given that 95% of the courses are online and it has been forced upon the staff at the centre. Some of whom have worked at the location in Donegal Town for 17 years.
“Now, they are being asked to commute a lengthy distance everyday to the Mountain Top in Letterkenny. It simply isn’t fair.”
The centre has been based in Donegal Town for the past 27 years.
Deputy Pearse Doherty said he is looking forward to meeting with the Education Minister Helen McEntee on the issue.
“The Minister signed off on this decision therefore they can also reverse the decision,” Deputy Doherty said.
Management at the CPD centre has said that the decision to relocate from Donegal Town to the Glenview Business Park in Letterkenny this Spring was made in consultation with staff and stakeholders.
100% Redress Party TD Charles Ward, who raised the dispute with the Taoiseach Micheál Martin this week, stated that the move was a “completely unnecessary decision”.
The Management has since strongly refuted claims made by Deputy Ward that no consultation took place with staff regarding the centre’s relocation.
“This assertion is entirely inaccurate and fails to acknowledge the extensive engagement that has been ongoing since November 2023,” said a statement from DESC.
The DESC said that, as part of the move, staff have been told that no staff member would be required to travel daily to the new location and that their jobs are not at risk.
They said that in May 2024, in light of concerns about the relocation, a hybrid work model was developed with flexible start/finish times and time-in-lieu arrangements.
“Under this model, no staff member is required to be on-site more than three days per week, with remote working options available. Staff on reduced hours may only have to travel twice a week and during school holidays, staff may only have to travel one or two days a week to work. Staff are able to choose their preferred remote working days, and additional
flexibility is provided through staggered start and finish times, as well as time-in-lieu (for every additional hour worked they receive 2 hours) arrangements. This model ensures that no staff member is required to travel daily to the new location and that their jobs are not at risk,” the statement said.
“The Management Committee is disappointed by the ongoing attempts to misrepresent this process and mislead the public,” the statement continued.
“Every effort has been made to consult with staff, and every attempt to engage Fórsa in constructive dialogue since January has been delayed. The claim that staff were not consulted is simply false.
“We want to make it abundantly clear that our priority remains the educational welfare of all students and teachers in Donegal.
“The relocation ensures that educators from all parts of the county can benefit from professional learning in a purpose-built, fully accessible centre, ultimately improving outcomes for students.”
The DESC move, they said was promoted by the unsustainable cost of using external venues for training.
Accessibility was another key consideration, they said, citing the central location of Letterkenny as a way of ensuring equal access to CPD opportunities to educators from all four corners of Donegal.
“Every Principal, Teacher and SNA in Donegal deserves the same high-quality professional training and development, and this relocation is a necessary step in ensuring that DESC can serve everyone equitably,” they said.
