Conservatory staff sing out of tune

DIT MUSIC: The deterioration of staff-management relations at the DIT Conservatory of Music has led to the resignation of another senior member of the conservatory's staff. Victor Merriman has resigned as acting head of the conservatory, the second head of the conservatory to leave the position in the last four months.

In January, the previous acting head, Eibhlis Farrell, resigned after an extended period of sick leave. She has since taken up a post at Dundalk IT at a lower grade.

Merriman had been in the position of acting head of school since February 2001 when Farrell went on sick leave. Merriman was not available to comment on his departure at the time of going to print; however, it is understood that he found the DIT's management of the conservatory insupportable.

The conservatory has suffered from persistent industrial relations problems. In 1999 industrial action over the failure of the DIT to make a number of staff permanent led to the intervention of the Labour Relations Commission (LRC). The LRC was subsequently asked to investigate industrial relations throughout the DIT. Its report in May 2001 was highly critical of DIT management.

The conservatory's difficult relations with the institute came to a head on February 7th when a general staff meeting passed a motion of no confidence in the DIT's stewardship of the conservatory.

Sources within the college say the conservatory is "not sustainable" based on its budget, which falls under the faculty of applied arts and its director, Ellen Hazelkorn. The four schools within the conservatory are together allocated about 1 per cent of the DIT's budget. It is understood that the failure to fill teaching posts and the DIT's perceived lack of commitment to teaching non-third- level students at the conservatory were also factors leading to the no-confidence motion.

Following the February meeting, conservatory staff asked to meet with the chair of the DIT's governing body, Patrick Fottrell, and the president Brendan Goldsmith. However, the DIT has suggested the matter be investigated by the head of human resources. Staff met with union advisers last Thursday, but were unable to reach a firm conclusion on this proposal. Another meeting is likely to take place this week. Meanwhile, interviews for the head of conservatory take place today.