Tallaght - Centre of the Universe

It's official - Tallaght is, according to An Bord Snip Nua, the place to be. The recommendation by Colm McCarthy's review group is that Blanchardstown Institute of Technology and the three DIT sites be relocated to our own campus here at ITT Dublin. This runs alongside proposed swingeing (what a great word!) cuts to R&D funding and serious rationalisation of the Enterprise Development arms of the state including the subsuming of the County Enterprise Boards into Enterprise Ireland and a reduction of 200 staff in that latter entity. While it is inevitable that every man/woman/entity will defend their own right to continue in existence, and these pleas fall largely on sceptical ears once one steps outside one's own realm, it is to be hoped that cuts in R&D and enterprise development are made with one eye to the future. As Enterprise Ireland's recent publication on the Technology Transfer Strengthening Initiative highlights - it can take a while for funding to translate into outcomes - particularly when the funding is there to create a serious shift in strategic outlook and approach.