Dr Fiona McGrath is the new acting chief executive.

CMETB confirm acting chief

TROJAN Tributes paid to John Kearney

Cavan and Monaghan Education and Training Board (CMETB) announced the appointment of Dr Fiona McGrath as the acting chief executive of the organisation at a special meeting of the authority on Monday evening.

She has been appointed to the position up to August 31, following the completion of the temporary replacement recruitment process.

Dr McGrath served as the director of Monaghan Institute prior to her appointment.

Outgoing Chief Executive, John Kearney, fulfilled his final official function before formally leaving the role to takeover as head of the National Council for Special Education (NCSE). Mr Kearney held the acting CE post at the local ETB since 2016. The Cork native was appointed to the lead role in place of Dr Pádraig Kirk.

CMETB chair, Cllr Colm Carthy (SF), proposed Dr McGrath to the post, with Cllr David Maxwell (FG) seconding and the board unanimously adopting the new chief executive. Mr Carthy thanked the outgoing CE “for his diligence and hard work”, and his availability to the members at all times.

Addressing the meeting, Mr Kearney said he loved almost every single moment of his 20 years with the local ETB: “We are in our ninth year of the amalgamation. As Chief Executive I want to thank you for your wholehearted support over the last five and half years. The achievements have been quite spectacular.”

Mr Kearney commended that support: “The executive staff and the board have worked hand in hand to deliver to the students. I am touched and humbled by the support of staff. There have been a number of functions that acknowledged the work that has been done. Each of our 11 post primary schools are going from strength to strength.”

Concluding, Mr Kearney said: “To each member of the Board thank you. Occasionally, from time to time, we may not have seen eye to eye, on every single issue, but I always respected where you were coming from. The only thing that stopped us from achieving what we wanted to achieve was limited resources, but a lot has been achieved in that last couple of years.

"I want to thank you all for that. We set out a very ambitious strategy statement, and we more or less delivered on every single facet of that. I know I am leaving it in good hands, and I want to wish Fiona the very best of luck in the next few months.”

Cllr Clifford Kelly led the tributes to the outgoing CE. He recalled interviewing Mr Kearney for a post in Breifne College 20 years before. He described that appointment as “an excellent choice” and said the outgoing CE played a Trojan role in his five and a half years at the helm of the CMETB.

CMETB member Joe McGrath said of Mr Kearney: “He is a good man, a very kind man and very suited to the role he is taking up with the National Council for Special Education. It is complimentary to his empathy. We wish him well in that role and thank him for his enormous contribution.”

Cllr David Maxwell said the capital investment of €100M into the two counties over the last number of years was a testament to the “shoulder to the wheel” attitude of Mr Kearney. Cllr Brendan Fay (Ind) commended the outgoing chief for all he achieved in a short period of time; while Cllr Sarah O'Reilly (Aon) spoke of Mr Kearney's tireless work and accessibility.

Cllr Sean Smith (FF) said: “You were always a perfect gentleman. Regardless of disagreements, you took phone calls, returned phone calls. You showed sound leadership and left a monumental amount of work completed behind you.”

Cllr Patricia Walsh (FF) also wished Mr Kearney the best in his new role.

As part of the appointment process, the meeting approved Dr McGrath as the signatory to the ETB's bank account.