Although this matter was tabled by Deputy Pat Carey and I, Deputy Carey decided to leave it to me to speak on the matter because it is of such importance and it would not be possible for two speakers to do justice to it with only two minutes each.
Dublin Corporation established the College of Music in 1890. Responsibility for it was transferred to the City of Dublin Vocational Education Committee in 1930. In 1978 it became one of the six constituent colleges of the Dublin Institute of Technology and it remained so after the Dublin Institute of Technology Act was passed in 1993.
The policy of this college was always to charge moderate fees to make music education available to the widest spectrum of the population, particularly the less well off. Expansion in the 1970s, 1980s and early 1990s to cope with a growing demand for music education saw a thriving college with 2,000 students, 90 teachers, six orchestras, three bands, four choirs and opera, chamber, drama and percussion groups. Weekly, monthly and annual concerts of extraordinary standard gave voice to all this talent. These concerts no longer take place. An active parents' association, with representation on college council, gave protection to the students and provided a solid support system for students suffering hardship, as well as providing bursaries and loans of instruments which were financially inaccessible to many students.
This has all changed since 1993, most of all in 1998. The parents' association was the first to be disbanded. Dramatic annual increases in fees culminated in a massive 42 per cent increase in 1998. This increase is excessive, disproportionate, aggressive, ill informed and poorly researched as to its fallout. It is immoral and counter productive in educational terms. It is also 30 per cent more than fees in the Cork College of Music.
A consequent reduction in student numbers caused vacancies which were allocated to new students. However, an arbitrary decision to introduce a quota on new entrants meant that although new students were informed they were allocated places, when they turned up for classes in September and October they were told there were no classes for them.
Another consequence is loss of staff. Never in the 100 year history of the college has there been staff redundancies, lay offs or even reduction of working hours until now. Now, not only have teachers been laid off, but for the second year in a row part-time teachers have not been paid or paid only a percentage of their salaries.
There are 300 fewer less places in the College of Music in 1998 as a result of these decisions. Professional studies in applied arts can only thrive if supported by a stable infrastructure. One needs a broad base of part-time students to supply the third level. The Dublin Institute of Technology is running down its comprehensive music education service at the expense of its own feeder system.
The Government has an obligation to preserve this infrastructure in the schools of music because the general school system cannot supply it. There is a demand for music education and a willingness to pay a reasonable fee for it. The current situation within the College of Music has destabilised the operation of the college and is sapping the morale of staff and students.
The intentions of Dr. Brendan Goldsmith to phase out lower levels of music education within this institution is no longer covert. It is manifest in the massive 42 per cent increase in fees and the culling of enrolments when the fee strategy proved insufficient to achieve its aims. There is a crisis in the College of Music which needs to be solved before this prized institution is totally destroyed. If action is not taken, this strategy could be implemented throughout the country by other agencies not sufficiently informed of the problems of music education. What action does the Minister propose to take to address this appalling situation?
