UCD begins 10th year without agricultural economics professor
ICMSA general secretary Ciaran Dolan said it is deeply regrettable that UCD has yet to find a replacement for Prof Seamus Sheehy, who retired as professor of agricultural economics in 2002.
In a letter to UCD president Hugh Brady, Mr Dolan wrote: “We must now express our concern at the capacity of UCD to provide the critical analysis necessary for [the Government’s Food Harvest 2020 ambitions], and the university’s ability to effectively inform public policy discussion on key policy developments for the agri-food sector. We very much regret that we are not alone in expressing such concerns.
“Furthermore... we note the university’s reduction of its capacity to deliver undergraduate education and training in the fundamental subjects of soil science and animal nutrition. This is not alone a strategic deficiency on the university’s part, but in the context of the overall Government strategy, it is a problem that should be resolved from the national point of view.”
Mr Dolan said this week: “Given the high expect-ations of the agri-food sector, if I were to say that we haven’t had a professor of agricultural economics in 11 years, would that surprise you? There is a big demand for agri-food products, and yet there is a deficiency in staff and the necessary expertise to guide the sector.
“UCD now relies on Teagasc for experts to come in to deliver soil science lectures. We need to cop ourselves on very fast. Above all, we need that professorship in agricultural economics.
“We might not like everything that such a professor might say about the sector’s performance and choices, but we need that level of expert analysis to inform policy.”
In a letter replying to Mr Dolan’s concerns, Prof Maurice Boland, the head of the School of Agriculture, Food Science and Veterinary Medicine in UCD, said that the college had twice advertised to fill the vacancy left by Prof Sheehy, but had failed to find the right replacement.
In the interim, UCD has turned to the Quinn Business School for support in the area of economics. The college has also continued to place a major emphasis on being research-intensive and internationally competitive, noted Prof Boland.
“We are in the process of establishing an Earth Sciences Institute that will have the scientists from several disciplines across the university working together to form critical mass. As soils will be a factor in this research, it will receive the appropriate attention in the future,” Prof Boland wrote.
“I agree that there has been a delay in making appointments, but this has been imposed by continuous reductions in budget allocations, and we must be strategic in our appointments to ensure that we stay current and meaningful in the national cause.
“We would like more staff in several areas, but there have been significant HEA cutbacks in recent years, so that each academic is expected to contribute more, not only in teaching and learning but also in research and innovation.“
