The expansion in the number of students entering the institutes of technology over the next two years reportedly planned by the Department of Education will put a strain on existing resources, according to the student services manager of Athlone IT.

However, Pat McTiernan takes issue with the comments of Athlone IT Student Union president Brendan Kiely, who said in a recent E&L article that the union was "particularly concerned" about student welfare services in the light of the suicides of three students of the institute since Christmas.

"The impression given is that Athlone IT does not have an adequate welfare service," she says. "On the contrary, the college has a very comprehensive service staffed by a student services manager, a nurse, visiting medical doctors, one full-time counsellor, one part-time counsellor and a full-time careers and appointments officer.

"The college also has a very hard working chaplaincy team and our staffing compares very favourably with similar services in other third level colleges."

More resources in the area would, of course, be welcomed, she adds - "and I agree that the expansion of student numbers will put a strain on our existing resources."

In response, Kiely says that Athlone students were happy with the quality of the services provided by the counsellors and the chaplaincy, but both services were underdeveloped because of insufficient funding. He said there was a particular problem with the medical service which was affected by industrial relations difficulties. Kiely added that the student union had to ferry students by taxi to alternative facilities when the campus medical services were unavailable.