ETB chief given leave date by Minister

The Chief Executive of Cavan and Monaghan Education and Training Board, John Kearney, is to formally leave the role and takeover as head of the National Council for Special Education (NCSE) next month, The Anglo-Celt can confirm.

Mr Kearney, who has served as acting CE at the local ETB since 2016, will begin overseeing the national delivery of education services to persons with special needs upon the formal completion of the CMETB’s temporary replacement recruitment process, on March 15.

The Cork native was appointed to the lead role at the local ETB in place of Dr Pádraig Kirk.

Dr Kirk was assigned by the Department of Education and Skills to the Cavan Monaghan position after former CE, Martin O’Brien, took over as chief at Louth-Meath ETB six years ago.

However, Dr Kirk was himself seconded to the position of Director of the Department’s Junior Cycle for Teachers (JCT) Support Service, initially for a two-year period.

The Department requested that CMETB facilitate Dr Kirk’s continued secondment, and did so again in 2018 and 2020.

Dr Kirk is due to return to CMETB as CE after August 31, 2022.

However, the perceived uncertainty caused a level of anger to be expressed towards the Department at the recent meeting of ETB Board members in Monaghan.

“We don’t know what’s going to happen next,” admonished Sean Fagan.

“I hope they release our CEO before they take our acting one.”

Mr Fagan was supported in his criticisms by Fianna Fáil’s PJ O’Hanlon, questioning if Mr Kearney’s position here had been made permanent, would the ETB be facing into this situation where they would need to appoint a temporary CE to fill the interim period?

“The people of Cavan and Monaghan deserve more respect,” he fumed. “This has been going on for six and a half years. I think it’s ludicrous, disrespectful.”

The ETB Board members have previously air grievances about the situation involving Dr Kirk’s secondment, and what it meant in terms of having only an acting CE leading the organisation.

The debate then went into ‘Committee’ to discuss the matter further.

Last month, the NCSE approved Mr Kearney’s appointment and relayed their decision in writing to the Minister of State for Special Education and Inclusion, Josepha Madigan, and the Minister for Education Norma Foley.

Mr Kearney, a former principal of Breifne College in Cavan Town, has during his time at the helm at CMETB overseen a major programme of investment in local schools, including continued plans for major extensions at Breifne College and at Coláiste Dún an Rí in Kingscourt.

He has also overseen the progression of a number of primary school projects, and at third level, most recently welcoming significant capital investment at both Cavan Institute campuses at Cathedral Road and Dublin Road.