School of Music row escalates as lecturers strike

ANGRY college lecturers took to the picket line yesterday over Government delays on the new €60 million building for Cork School of Music.

The school is part of the Cork Institute of Technology, whose 540 academic staff held a one-day strike over the issue yesterday.

The 2,500 full and part-time students of Cork School of Music have been using temporary and mostly inadequate facilities for more than 18 months.

The construction of a new facility was to be one of the first public private partnerships (PPP) in education but the necessary funding was delayed because An Taisce lodged an objection during the planning process.

In the meantime, Education Minister Noel Dempsey has claimed that EU rules on budgeting for PPPs mean it cannot be funded this year.

Eurostat, the body concerned, has denied any such ruling has been made but the Department of Finance has said there are concerns about the funding of PPP projects because of budgetary implications.

Mr Dempsey was unavailable for comment last night, but a spokesperson said the industrial action was regrettable.

“It is a matter for the relevant trade union what action they choose to take. The Department of Education is working to resolve the issues that impact on the Cork School of Music and other PPP projects,” she said.

The building could be finished during Cork’s year as European Capital of Culture in 2005 if the Government gives a funding commitment before the end of the summer.

The Teachers’ Union of Ireland represents CIT lecturers, who picketed the main campus at Bishopstown as well as the School of Music and Crawford College of Art and Design yesterday.

They also held a silent protest at the opening of the Cork International Choral Festival last night.

The situation could become much more serious in the autumn, when TUI members at the School of Music will refuse to work in the old school building at Union Quay or any other unsuitable premises. Most classes have been taking place in the nearby Moore’s Hotel since September 2001.

The preferred bidders for the project, Jarvis, have not been given any definite information about the status of the deal since early last year.

It is believed the company could make a claim for millions of euro already spent on planning and design if the project is not given the go-ahead.