Letters To The Editor 2005-04-29

University Reforms

University reforms need to be challenged

As a member of the Commerce Faculty here at UCD, and being myself of American origin, it may at first seem ironic that I should be so seriously concerned at the arrival of the corporate "American Way" to university education in Ireland, and to UCD in particular.

I refer, of course, to the restructuring that has been imposed upon UCD this past year, the implementation of which is to be carried out by IBM Change Management Consultants (at what cost, by the way?).

It may be helpful to share some thoughts with students and the public.

1. In all the various versions of President Hugh Brady's restructuring plans, the only constant appears to have been an insistence on the changes in nomenclature of university units and the abolition of the terms "faculty" and "department". Could it be because staff contracts, the statutes, and the most recent Universities Act all refer specifically to these entities and will need to be changed? Could it be because these documents all contain hard-won protections of things like academic freedom and other (un-American) things like protection of workers' rights which the president (or someone above him) would like not to be there?

2. The President has been quoted as saying that the primary purpose of research at universities is to "excite and attract external funding". Considering that UCD already attracts large amounts of funding, why should this be? Is a shift towards increased emphasis on funded research intended so that multinationals, and the governments they "influence", might be able to control, through selective funding, the types of research which will and will not take place at universities? If so, are multinationals and governments worthy as trustees of our intellectual heritage and future?

3. Modularisation. Why? Is it, as has proved the case elsewhere, in order to enable application of Thatcher-style free-market principles to our intellectual heritage and future, and to kill off (as in Australia, for instance) all those areas for which no short-term tangible financial outcome is apparent?

Also, have the appropriate sums been done in consideration of student well-being? A conservative estimate of load under the new credit system is based on 750 hours per semester (including study), or more than 60 hours per week of students' time over 12 weeks. Is this in line with student experience elsewhere? Is there any time for our students to reflect within such a corporate schedule?

"Manufactured consent". It appears that the outcome of the most recent meeting of UCD's Governing Authority was unqualified ratification of the President's restructuring plans, where the Academic Council's prior refusal to fully ratify the restructuring plan was completely ignored. Is this true? If so, what was the exact nature of the justification?

More to the point, if, as the President's "spin doctors" would have us believe, everyone is supposedly fully behind his restructuring plans, then why was it necessary to over-rule the main representative body of UCD's academics? If the President is so sure of his mandate, then why can't there be a university-wide referendum? Surely, if such a mandate were validated, it would expedite the restructuring process and help staff feel more committed? Is refusal to consider such a referendum because the notion of a referendum is too European?

As for why I am bothered by these questions, let's just say that I like America fine where it is, but have chosen to live here in Ireland, and would have thought it appropriate that Ireland's universities (including UCD) should be serving Ireland's students and society at large, rather than furthering the interests and culture of multinational corporations.

David Edelamn

Dublin

Cork City

Where's me culture?

Here, in the "Capital of Culture" the severely overstretched and undermanned An Garda Síochána expend significant resources on the harassment and arrest of that scourge of our cities – the street artist – who is attempting to earn a living from his work and officially excluded from the licensing system. For several months I've been trying to get an up-to-date list of current by-laws: I know there are many and I'm curious as to why they choose to enforce this one with such diligence whilst ignoring others, such as those pertaining to dog fouling and public drinking. Cork Corporation themselves did not possess such a list and Gardaí said menacingly that they are "not allowed to give them out" (ie don't be bothering us with such trivia). The fact that this is an infringement of Constitutional Rights and contravenes protocols established under the European Social Charter appears to matter not a whit...

Dermot O' Dowda

Cork

A Word to the Wise

Bored by Adams

Its not fair Gerry, but it is you and you alone that did it. You forced me Gerry, last week you forced me to agree with Ian Paisley Jnr. Under what circumstances could such an abhorrent thing happen? The answer is to be partially found in Adams's article in last week's Village. Following the lukewarm reception that greeted his statement to the IRA, Adams attempted to put in context the significance of "his initiative". I would have to agree however with Paisley Jnr's assertion that the statement represented nothing more than more words by Sinn Féin.

The problem I have with Adams is that his sole purpose as a politician nowadays seems to be that of a rhetorical clown. Announcements here, statements there, comments for this, speeches against that, last week's article was but more words to defend other words. We are bored of words, Gerry, bored.

With the exception of Adams, it seems that everyone (including Paisley Jnr) understands that actions speak louder than words and these actions are far less likely to be so widely misconstrued.

So some more wise words then. Last week, Adams stated that: "There is actually no good time to make such an initiative." Yes there is Gerry, seven years ago would have been a perfect time, not a month before an election.

You also said "the peace process is at a defining moment" but Northern politics has been in a process of perpetual crisis. People aren't goldfish, Gerry. We remember what has happened over the past decade so stop talking and do something about it.

People whose job it is will continue to analyse Adams words, but the people of Ireland are no longer interested in his or P O'Neil's ambiguous words.

Adams is trying to make the best of a bad situation by reaching for the high ground, but it is difficult to do so when you're drowning in public apathy to more words. Peace process fatigue has set in and the Irish public is now bored of this political rhetoric. Bored, Adams should know what it means, if he is good at anything, it is words.

Shaun Gavigan

Dublin 7

Waste

Ringaskiddy Burns

Yes Ringaskiddy does burn. There are six toxic incinerators in the Cork Harbour area. Sixty per cent of the nation's toxic waste is produced in this bay area. The vast majority of this is currently being burned on site. If Indaver were allowed to build a National Toxic Waste Incinerator in Ringaskiddy, it would be reliant on waste from all over the country, and from abroad. The total amount of toxic waste produced annually is 48,000 tonnes. The proposed TWO incinerators would have a capacity of 200,000 tonnes. The plan to transport toxic waste from the whole island, over considerable distances, and into a highly populated bay, beggars belief. Susan Philips' recent article in this publication made a case for incineration. This was totally founded on the need to burn toxic waste where it is produced.

Hello...

Dan FitzGerald

Cork Cty

New pope

Papal election

Would it be ok to say I don't give a toss that a chap said over the tannoy in Peter's Square – or words very similar? So what have we got to look forward to now that the smoke which eventually turned an off-white and had folk glued to the television for days in expectation as it wafted over the Roman rooves, has cleared away?

Let's see – oh yes – a cardinal by the name of Rattz....Ratizz...Razzit...erm... Pope Benny, I think, is going to... do what, exactly? I don't know – does anyone have any idea what a man who has been living in a wholly different world divorced for the most part from the reality of life as the rest of us know it, has to offer?

I heard it said on the day he got the green light that he is "a brilliant theologian"which actually means he is an "expert" in deciphering fairytales and gobbledegook for grown-ups, which his church makes up as she goes along. It goes on – believe it if you wish.

Amen.

Robert O'Sullivan

Bantry

New pope

Papacy used to spread ideology of the right

I am very fearful that the new papacy will exert political pressure on nation states in much the same way as the previous one did. Looking back over the 26 years, it is clear that the old papacy was not content to take care of the spiritual welfare of the believers alone; rather it attempted to exert political pressure also. In Ireland we had the pro-life amendment, the divorce amendment and subsequent referendums.

In Eastern Europe, the work of grass roots liberation movements was co-opted in order to suppress socialism, and to pave the way for unconstrained capitalism. The abuse of the language of liberation is particularly reprehensible. When intelligent people have spoken about the freedom in following the rules and edicts of JPII, we can clearly see that the exercise of power through self-regulation is fairly complete. The methods of co-option of liberation movements, and the perversion of language have been very effective tools for the spread of the barely concealed ideology of the right.

I fear that the new papacy will continue this trend. I see that Pope Benedict XVI has already started on this journey. When he speaks of the presence of God as essential to liberation movements, he is already taking religion out of the spiritual realm and putting it into the political. He speaks of conciliation, but he excludes other Christian sects and denominations from participation in communion. He speaks of listening, but he does not hear. And most importantly, for the social movements that have truly addressed oppression and domination, such as feminism and socialism, he has perverted the language of liberation to the opposite of what it means. George Orwell called this "double speak"; Orwell just got the wrong culprit.

Brid Connolly

Maynooth

Co Kildare

Mary Harney

A woman of courage and conviction

Mary Harney has come under recent criticism for deviating from her ten-point plan for the Department of Health. While it's fair enough to criticise for actual mistakes, let's not all jump on the overladen PD-bashing bandwagon just yet. Lets take a look at Harney's track record so far.

Up to 1989, Dubliners wouldn't be able to gulp in the crisp evening air or gaze wonderingly across the bay. The view and air would instead, be literally breathtaking.

This was thanks to the urban phenomenon known as "smog", an unhappy mix of smoke and fog. In 1989, Mary Harney risked a promising career with the PDs as Minister for State with special responsibility for environmental protection by making a decision which, while unpopular at the time, greatly improved the lives of Dubliners. She banned the pollutant smoky fuels which caused the smog and effectively gambled her seat. It worked. She took a risk to get something done.

In the late 1990s, it was thought the Irish economic boom would implode, high growth rates would reverse and the river of foreign investment would dry up. At least, that's what most economists predicted.

The first hit department in this economic apocalypse would be the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment. Harney, as leader of the major coalition party, could choose any department she wanted. Instead of choosing an easy department where she could simply coast along, she chose the one where the problems were more likely to be.

Of course, now we know that economic heart attack never really came, but we can see that Harney is willing to risk her career to get the job that needs doing done. She took a risk to get something done.

In the last reshuffle, she again had her pick of departments. Was she tired of working and willing to put her feet up for a while? No. She took what many regard as the politically suicidal department – the Department of Health. Even the name somehow makes it sound forbidding. Now, she is taking a risk to get things done.

So whatever your feelings on the PDs or the current government, you have to admire Harney for actually trying to improve the country instead of simply trying to gather votes. She seems to be one of the few people in government whose philosophy isn't as Bertie once put it "to get in and stay in".

We shouldn't apply to her the same cynical standards we apply to average politicians because she certainly isn't one.

Michael Pidgeon

Monkstown

Co Dublin