Seanad report: The board of governors of the Marino College of Education should resign from office or be dismissed, Joe O'Toole (Ind) said.
He based his belief on what he knew about the situation at the college. "It is a states of fear, of intimidation, of abuse, of a question of financial practices taking place there which are absolutely worrying."
Urging that arrangements be set in train to have the matter discussed in the House, he said he believed the Minister for Education would have a view on why "these things have developed out there" and on what had happened to the college president and three other people who had challenged the authorities.
One had found himself shoved off to Africa. The college president and another person had been required and requested to submit themselves for psychological and psychiatric examination. An individual had been told to reconsider his position, and another had been informed that he could look forward to no further promotion.
Mr O'Toole said questions had been raised about why the surplus of State funds found itself in the same account from which had been bought at least four apartments, owned by the college. A question he would like to pose was why State money should be used in such a situation.
Liam Fitzgerald (FF) said they all shared the deep concern about the resignation of the college principal, a person of wide regard and esteem throughout the education world, and the deep sense of disturbance about the statements from the only Christian brother member of the teaching staff and from Mr Ó Murchú, a very eminent person.
Leader of the House Mary O'Rourke said they would need to get an explanation in relation to what had happened at the Marino college. Mr O'Toole had spoken about intimidation. "It sounded like a house of mystery and mayhem and money and all the rest of it."
Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment Micheál Martin said he believed the dispute between Gama Construction Ltd and the union representing its workers could have a positive outcome if both parties committed themselves to engaging with the Labour Relations Commission.
Mr Martin said he had sent the Labour Inspectorate Report into alleged breaches of employment rights in Gama and related companies to various bodies which had prosecutorial powers.
Feargal Quinn (Ind) saved the Government from embarrassment at the outset of a debate on a Labour motion condemning abuses of immigrant workers. While supporting efforts to provide additional protection for migrant workers, a Government amendment condemned "exploitation of all workers in Ireland". Moving an amendment to the Government amendment, Ms O'Rourke said Mr Quinn had drawn attention to the fact that the original wording was "May Day gone wild" because it implied that all workers were being at all times exploited.