Public representatives in Co Donegal have called on Minister of Education Helen McEntee to stall the relocation of the Donegal Education Support Centre from Donegal town to Letterkenny.
The centre is set to close in Donegal town at the end of this month and relocate to Letterkenny in April, despite much campaigning to retain it at its current location.
DESC is one of a national network of 21 full-time education support centres and has been in Donegal town since 1997.
Fianna Fáil TD Pat the Cope Gallagher has called on to issue "a stay of execution on the proposed moving of this critically important centre".
Mr Gallagher said: "The entire process needs to be stalled, and I am further requesting that the Public Accounts Committee, once it is constituted, undertake an immediate examination into all aspects of this debacle, from a corporate governance, financial undertaking, and decision-making aspect."
Fine Gael Senator Manus Boyle said given concerns he has about the decision process he has formally requested that the minister pause the relocation.
"I have called for an independent assessment to be conducted, and until its findings are reviewed, this relocation should not proceed".
Local public representatives met Minister for State Marian Harkin to discuss the matter last month.
A spokesperson for the Department of Education told RTÉ News following a meeting with local representatives in February, the minister "asked her officials to conduct a review of the issues raised".
"Based on the analysis carried out, the minister subsequently wrote to the local representatives to outline that no issues of governance had been identified".
Under the planned move the two education support centres in the northwest region would be located in Letterkenny and Sligo.
Cllr Jimmy Brogan, Chairperson of the Save Donegal Education Campaign, said our "main concern is that six women will be forced to leave their jobs following the relocation of the centre to Letterkenny".
"The relocation means the women will have to drive between an hour and an hour and a half each way, without any allowances being offered, which is unacceptable".
Accessibility a key factor in decision to relocate centre
A spokesperson for the DESC said "the relocation positions DESC to better meet the evolving needs of the whole educational community throughout the whole county" adding that "accessibility was a key factor in this decision".
They added the new location would enhance capacity to deliver high-quality face-to-face professional training and support for educators and school leaders.
Earlier, the DESC published a redacted version business plan on its website of its 2024 business plan.
Ms Harkin said in the Seanad recently that the Department of Education accepted the reasons underpinning the decision to relocate the centre from Donegal town to Letterkenny in mid-December.
She said decisions about how to run and where to locate education support centres are a matter for the respective management committee.
A spokesperson for the DESC said the decision to relocate "was made following extensive consultation with school leaders, teachers, staff, and a number of stakeholders during the first six months of 2024".
They said the management committee, comprising of representatives from primary and post-primary schools across all of Donegal concluded that "establishing a centralised and accessible hub in Letterkenny would best meet the evolving needs of educators and schools throughout the county and give equal access to everyone".
Several hundred attend public meetings
Public meetings organised by the Save Our Education Centre and attended by several hundred people in Donegal town in recent months highlighted strong opposition to the proposed move and are campaigning to have the decision reversed.
Minister Harkin said: "Donegal Education Support Centre engaged with the Department of Education officials on the business case and, as part of normal, good governance, queries were raised by the Department and addressed by the centre.
"These included queries on the potential financial implications of the move.
"Following the engagement, the Department of Education informed the management committee in mid-December of last year that it accepted the reasons underpinning the decision to relocate to Letterkenny."
Labour Senator Nessa Cosgrove said in the Seanad last week that: "There is a lot of resistance to this proposal, primarily from the six women employed in the centre but also from many local councillors and TDs".
A spokesperson for Fórsa said they referred the matter to the Workplace Relations Commission (WRC).
The spokesperson said an engagement took place last Friday and the parties are due to meet again tomorrow.
The education sector in Donegal comprises 178 primary schools, 28 post-primary schools and two special schools with a teaching population of more than 3,000 students.
The Department of Education's role in relation to Education Support Centres is to resource and monitor them to ensure effective operation.
Education Support Centres are independent bodies recognised under the Education Act.
The AGM of the Donegal Education Support Centre takes place in Letterkenny tonight.
