Students, staff boycott Tralee college campus

Students at the Institute of Technology, Tralee, have been boycotting lectures since Thursday in a protest about facilities in…

Students at the Institute of Technology, Tralee, have been boycotting lectures since Thursday in a protest about facilities in the college's new £15 million north campus.

The students' union at the college has asked all students not to attend lectures until facilities are improved. They particularly want the library to be opened.

Yesterday, staff represented by the Teachers' Union of Ireland (TUI) withdrew from lectures in the new campus because of concerns over health and safety.

Mr Brendan Guilfoyle, secretary of the TUI, claimed that three lecturers had been injured in the new building, including one who fell into a hole and another who sprained a wrist.

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"The college had plenty of time to get this right, but we are not happy that fire safety is properly provided for in the new building." He said staff would not return until health and safety was improved.

Meetings were taking place last night to deal with the concerns of students and staff.

Mr Henry Lyons, spokesman for the college, said some accidents had occurred, but repairs had been made afterwards. Safety consultants were inspecting the building, and everything would be repaired shortly.

While a small number of students have attended lectures, the directive from the students' union is being adhered to generally. Students' union president Ms Caitr∅ona Ryan said students would not go back to lectures until the library issue was resolved.

She said the campus at Dromtacker was opened without "even basic facilities such as a canteen". While there was an area serving soup and sandwiches, there were no chairs and tables.

"The library is the biggest issue. There is the old library in the south campus, but that is over a mile away, and students cannot be expected to carry books back and forward between the two campuses," she said.