Cabinet reshuffle? How will Waterford fare?

gravity1036

Lots of talk at the moment about the cabinet reshuffle. A bit of speculation in the Irish Times today that Hanafin will depart Education and possibly end up in Foreign Affairs or Ent. Trade and Emp.

From talking to a few friends recently about the whole thing we feel that our local Minister might have a rather tenuous grasp on a ministerial position. All political views aside, whatever party you support, we'd all rather have somebody at the table than nobody but what do others think? Will this reshuffle stand to benefit Waterford in any way? Is there any ministerial position up for grabs that could help rejuvenate the South East? Do you think that the departure of Hanafin would have any impact on current academic pursuits for the region? So many questions, I'd be interested in hearing public opinion.

Aquos76

It doesnt look like there will be a major reshuffle until after the local elections next year at the earliest. Possibly one or two positions changed to allow for a new finance minister and also Tanaiste. A lot can happen between now and then. Its bad enough the rest of the country speculating on Martin Cullen's future, I don't think we really need to be discussing him in particular. But yes for Waterford to continue to make progress and trying to gain parity with Limerick and Galway, it is vital that we can hold on to a cabinet minster for our City.

With regards to Mary Hannafin, well she is really after making a mess of the education dept imo.. and it may be no harm to pass it on to somebody else. Making primary schools pay for water, c'mon that's a fcuking disgrace.

gravity1036

Aquos76 wrote: »

With regards to Mary Hannafin, well she is really after making a mess of the education dept imo.. and it may be no harm to pass it on to somebody else. Making primary schools pay for water, c'mon that's a fcuking disgrace.

Agreed there. There has been a number of strange decisions in the department during her tenure, I often wondered if it was the dept or the person.

Just on the reshuffle though, as you say we need a new Tainaiste and Minister for finance and it's unlikely that somebody will double job that one as Cowen was only instated in preparation for last week's departure. So that's two positions free, possibly being filled by Martin and Hanafin if you listen to some. That means two other ministerial positions need to be filled and so on goes the ripple. Plus Cowen becomming head man effectively means that they're one man short and a newbie will be required to make up the numbers.

I see the logic in what you are saying about waiting until the next round of elections but surely the reality is that 2 gaping voids will cause a big ripple if not a wave in the near future?

fricatus

Fantasy cabinet: Cullen in Education, reshuffled to Enterprise, Trade and Employment once the University is in place.

Micheal Martin in Defence, Hanafin in Arts, Culture and Gaeltacht (no offence meant to artists and soldiers, but these are considered the lesser ministries...)

Aquos76

Well Martin Cullen survived the reshuffle, granted he moves from Social affairs to Sport and Tourism.

Mary Hannafin has been removed from education to take up Martin Cullen's previous position in Social affairs, significally for Waterford though, A Cork man and a previous CIT lecturer takes up the position as minister for Education, Batt O Keffee. This could really spell the end for University Status for Waterford now.

mike65

Martin Cullen can probably count himself lucky to still have state car. As for Bat O'Keefe - thats all we needed.

Mike.

gravity1036

Cullen was lucky alright - but he didn't get much of a position which is surely some indicator of cabinet thinking.

As for Batt getting education, well good riddance to the wicked witch of North Tipp but it's a pity that a partisan voice will govern the decision of new university policy coupled with the application of CIT to be the overarching body of the IoT sector by becomming the one and only University of Technology. I fear the worst here but I really hope that I am wrong.

ex_infantry man

gravity1036 wrote: »

Cullen was lucky alright - but he didn't get much of a position which is surely some indicator of cabinet thinking.

As for Batt getting education, well good riddance to the wicked witch of North Tipp but it's a pity that a partisan voice will govern the decision of new university policy coupled with the application of CIT to be the overarching body of the IoT sector by becomming the one and only University of Technology. I fear the worst here but I really hope that I am wrong.

cork already has a university can,t see em putting another down there

mike65

I can. In fact I shall wager a virtual bet of a Gazillion Tkantards that an announcment to turn the CIT into a university occures before the next election is due.

Mike.

gravity1036

ex_infantry man wrote: »

cork already has a university can,t see em putting another down there

It's not so much another university in Cork that I fear but rather the fact that an ex-CIT man (Batt) is now in charge of education when the government are looking for a way out of granting uni status to WIT. CIT are the only other group with an alternative suggestion on the table, in line with the Fine Gael proposal, to have an overarching University of Technology over the IoTs in the country. Vested interests and all that might see this being granted in line with additional government literature suggesting that WIT should fall into line with this new head of the sector. There has to be reason that the position was given to somebody with no real past reputation and I fear that a Deus ex machina for Cork's ambition to be aligned to Dublin with more educational clout and increased regional presence might have been granted this ministry.

Bards

On the good news front, Martin Manseragh has been appointed to the Super Junior in charge of the OPW, and he is all in favour of USE

mike65

USE?

Mike.

invincibleirish

gravity1036 wrote: »

have an overarching University of Technology over the IoTs in the country.

This is a bad idea why? Having a degree from an institution with the strength of so many constituent colleges will have far more weight then from a minor University.

gravity1036

invincibleirish wrote: »

This is a bad idea why? Having a degree from an institution with the strength of so many constituent colleges will have far more weight then from a minor University.

Perhaps you missed something in the reams of text which has been posted on the Waterford University thread, from which you are constantly detracting. Anyway once more the underlying point in simple terms: getting a university doesn't just mean the quality of the degree. It is a different funding model with different powers to ratify a greater range of courses and offer a much wider and locally demanded courses without having to go through a third party. Waterford IT gaining university status will see a huge change in the amount of funding given to the resource which in turn will help it to churn out greater R&D, new spin out companies, attract new investment to the region because of university snobbery (sadly) and will allow us to stand on our own two feet. If you still have trouble understanding this then don't waste anyone else's time. Even your language about a minor university requires a serious reality check. Every university when it starts out is a minor university. It doesn't mean that it will always stay that way, WIT has been a truly shining example of the potential of the institute compared with other IoTs that were upgraded at the same time. However, I digress, hopefully this explains as to why CIT being the be all and end all without giving a university to the South East is a bad idea for the region.

invincibleirish

gravity1036 wrote: »

Perhaps you missed something in the reams of text which has been posted on the Waterford University thread, from which you are constantly detracting. Anyway once more the underlying point in simple terms: getting a university doesn't just mean the quality of the degree. It is a different funding model with different powers to ratify a greater range of courses and offer a much wider and locally demanded courses without having to go through a third party. Waterford IT gaining university status will see a huge change in the amount of funding given to the resource which in turn will help it to churn out greater R&D, new spin out companies, attract new investment to the region because of university snobbery (sadly) and will allow us to stand on our own two feet. If you still have trouble understanding this then don't waste anyone else's time. Even your language about a minor university requires a serious reality check. Every university when it starts out is a minor university. It doesn't mean that it will always stay that way, WIT has been a truly shining example of the potential of the institute compared with other IoTs that were upgraded at the same time. However, I digress, hopefully this explains as to why CIT being the be all and end all without giving a university to the South East is a bad idea for the region.

What? im sorry but my point was a national University, with a huge budget and the clout that comes with it, will rival the Universities, Similarly it will boost the constituent colleges appeal as after all an NUI degree is more valuable then a hypothetical "University of Maynooth" degree as a standalone. A policy like this will appease all ITs and be good for Ireland.

KingLoser

invincibleirish wrote: »

What? im sorry but my point was a national University, with a huge budget and the clout that comes with it, will rival the Universities, Similarly it will boost the constituent colleges appeal as after all an NUI degree is more valuable then a hypothetical "University of Maynooth" degree as a standalone. A policy like this will appease all ITs and be good for Ireland.

You're not lost. You're here.

invincibleirish

KingLoser wrote: »

You're not lost. You're here.

I left that thread after the more extreme reactions.

gravity1036

invincibleirish wrote: »

What? im sorry but my point was a national University, with a huge budget and the clout that comes with it, will rival the Universities, Similarly it will boost the constituent colleges appeal as after all an NUI degree is more valuable then a hypothetical "University of Maynooth" degree as a standalone. A policy like this will appease all ITs and be good for Ireland.

You responded to my suggestion that there was a danger that CIT would become the epicentre of an overarching body over all IoTs in the country and as to why this was a bad idea.

The problem with this is that it is not a university nor a national university like the NUI situation. It prevents each college from developing itself yet again without going through a centralised board just like courses have to be ratified through the HEA at the moment in the IoT sector. The South East needs the atomicity to stand alone and serve itself and not be reliant on the vested interests of other supervising counties/organisations. That in addition to the other facts that I mentioned previously.

SUNGOD

this may get me a warning but what harm

to answer all the above above posts who gives a f**k ****ing hell get a life you bore the gable end off me

KingLoser

SUNGOD wrote: »

this may get me a warning but what harm

to answer all the above above posts who gives a f**k ****ing hell get a life you bore the gable end off me

Do you also watch TV shows that bore you? And listen to music that you hate?

....and fall down often?

Sully

This topic is NOT to decend into another University debate topic. We have a topic for that - use it. Thanks.