At a recent City Technical Committee meeting, Mr O’Quick, Principal, sought permission to travel to Dublin on Thursday. Principals from technical schools across Ireland had been invited by the Department of Technical Instruction to attend a meeting at their offices to discuss the new Irish Directory. The current practice has been based on the English Directory, but now a new directory specifically for Ireland is being introduced.
During the meeting, concerns were raised about the Department’s approach. Father Murphy criticised the Department for issuing a directory that would bind both local committees and the Department itself without consulting the committees, despite the Act of Parliament stating that the Department should work through local committees. He deemed this approach extraordinary and raised questions about the Department’s authority to legislate without considering the opinions of the committees.
Miss Doyle echoed Father Murphy’s sentiments, suggesting that any suggestions regarding the directory should come through the committee. The committee members expressed frustration that the Department intended to create legislation without seeking input or feedback from the committees themselves. Father Murphy suggested that the committee should consider ignoring the consultation process altogether, believing it would be a more independent stance.
Mr Long, however, noted that if Mr O’Quick’s attendance at the consultation would not incur expenses, they could grant him permission to go. Miss Doyle insisted that if he were to attend, he should represent the views of the committee, to which Mr Long agreed, stating that Father Murphy’s views were reflective of the committee’s stance.
Ultimately, it was decided to leave it optional for Mr O’Quick to attend the consultation, with the understanding that he would represent the committee’s perspectives if he chose to participate.
The controversy surrounding the new Irish Directory reflects a larger concern among local committees about their exclusion from decision-making processes. The debate over the directory’s implementation and the need for greater consultation between the Department and local committees continues.
Limerick Echo – Tuesday 22 March 1904
