MEP meets Students from LIT Tipperary in Brussels.
Students from (LIT Tipperary) recently visited Brussels and the European Commission as part of an educational field study. Third and fourth year students from the honours degree programme in Social and Community Studies were special guests of Munster MEP and Labour party member, Ms Phil Prendergast.
Throughout the three day study trip, LIT-Tipperary students visited the European Commission Buildings, met with senior Irish Commission staff and were given very informative talks on various aspects of policy development within an expanded European Community. In her address to LIT-Tipperary students, MEP – Phil Prendergast outlined her role as a parliament member and was positive about Ireland’s future despite the current economic recession. “We have been an incredibly resilient nation and we have survived great challenges in our history. I have no doubt but we will also emerge from this recession and that your generation will play a significant part in shaping a more positive future for Ireland.”
The LIT-Tipperary Students also attended a very interesting seminar given by Conor Mulvihill (European Affairs Manager - Irish Cooperative Organisation Society) & native of Limerick. Conor gave some very valuable insights on the role and challenges facing the Irish agri–business sector within the European Community. He emphasised the need for active participation by ICOS in key EU decision making, given that we currently export 90% of our dairy milk and are the fourth largest beef producer in the world. Students also attended a fascinating talk by Micheál O’Concubhair (from Kerry) A Secretary General to the Committee Of The Regions. Micheál outlined the decision making structures in the European Community and how the 27 national delegations influence policy development across key themes including education and training. Micheál emphasised the importance of languages in our education system and gave examples of how Belgian children are fluent in three and four languages before they enter second level school.
Mr. Paul Keating (LIT –Tipperary) & field study organiser described it as a truly worthwhile and informative study trip. Visiting staff and students stayed in the historic Leuven Institute for Ireland in Europe. There was also a walking tour of Leuven (a beautiful university town) and a site visit to an amazing social economy project. The project involved the training of long term unemployed people in the building and maintenance of 25,000 bicycles for Leuven’s student and tourist market.