A REORGANISATION plan which includes a voluntary early retirement plan for 120 staff, the closure of advisory offices and a 30 per cent cut in the land used for research has been agreed by the board of Teagasc.
In a statement issued after its board meeting yesterday, the agriculture and food development authority said that it had agreed the package in principle and had submitted it to the Government.
Calling the programme the Teagasc Change Plan, the statement said when implemented it would leave Teagasc as a “leaner and fitter organisation, delivering key science-based innovation services to the agriculture and food sectors”.
“The main points of the Teagasc Change Plan include programme prioritisation, a 30 per cent reduction in the land base used for research, closure of advisory offices and a new model for agriculture and horticulture education,” it said.
“A plan to introduce a voluntary early retirement scheme for approximately 120 staff affected by the rationalisation plan has been prepared and submitted to Government.
“Once implemented, Teagasc will have 1,200 hectares of land for its applied agriculture research programmes, a nationwide network of 70 offices, three lead educational colleges and 11 regional education centres,” it adds.
“The change programme also includes a streamlining of administration and a reduction in directorates from six to four, leading to a 33 per cent reduction in senior managers.
“There will be an increased emphasis on transferring knowledge to farmers, the food industry and other clients.
“A unified agriculture and food research directorate will lever greater synergies,” said the board statement.
The statement said the programme was balanced across all Teagasc activities – research, education and the advisory service.
It said it provided a framework for the organisation to adjust to a reduction in State grant-in-aid of €10.3 million which was announced in the October budget and to any future possible reductions.
The statement said the planned changes were in line with the overall strategic objectives of the organisation as set out in the Teagasc 2030 Foresight report, published in May 2008.
Teagasc is the main organisation supporting research and technology for the agriculture and food sectors in Ireland.