Galway Bay FM Newsroom - The Association of Irish Local Government has made a strong submission to the review of higher education government bodies insisting that Councillors should remain an integral part of the third level forums.
Tuam Fianna Fail Councillor Mary Hoade, who is president of the Association, said councillors represent the public interest on university Governing bodies and are best placed to link the colleges with the needs of the regions in which they are located.
Currently there are eight Councillors on the Governing Body of UCD, seven each on UCC and UCG, two on UL and one on DCU.
Councillor Hoade was responding to a consultation process set up by Minister Simon Harris, T.D., Minister of State for Further and Higher Education which suggests that the size of Governing Bodies will be slashed thereby reducing the number of seats available for councillor representatives.
She said " Councillors add value to the Governing bodies by bringing a perspective on real life outside of the academic corridors of the universities. Their help to make the governing bodies a truly representative forum bringing regional needs and assets to the table " concluded Cllr Hoade.
More on Galway Bay FM News at 1 and 5
