“The people who do move are our best people” said Teagasc Director, Professor Gerry Boyle in reaction to the news that more senior staff members of the organisation were moving to the private sector.

Last Saturday on www.farmersjournal.ie, The Dealer exlcusively revealed that beef specialist Dr Paul Crosson was departing the Authoirty. There are also concerns that other senior staff are headed for the exit door too in the coming weeks.

Underlying issue

Professor Boyle said the poaching of his staff by the private sector is, in one way, a compliment to the talent working for Teagasc.

“On one level it is a good reflection on Teagasc that we have people that are in demand both in private companies and public companies and I want to wish each and everyone one of them the very best in their future careers” he said.

Listen to an interview with Gerry Boyle in our podcast below:

Boyle hopes that the exiting staff will maintain contact with Teagasc as people who have left did in the past. “I guess there is an underlying issue here which is of concern to me and I am not saying it is relevant to these individuals because there will always be personal issues why people want to leave an organisation and move on. The main issues are that the public sector has been subject to moratorium and it is only very recently that recruitment has commenced again but the salaries have been frozen and promotion prospects are very very limited” explained Boyle.

Realignment between public and private

He believes the issues are not just relevant to Teagasc but right across the public sector and he feels this cannot continue. “The private sector are gearing up which is very good, the food sector is in particular, in fact we are suppling private companies with a lot of our masters and phD graduates in the normal course of events” said Boyle. But he feels there has to be a realignment between public and private sector. “The future success of the private sector, particularly in the agri food sector in relation to innovation is going to depend on people working in the public sector. So I don’t think we can continue the way we have been” Boyle concluded.

Teagasc brain drain continues

Listen: Boyle explains the Teagasc ‘brain drain’

Teagasc Director, Professor Gerry Boyle shares his thoughts as to why there is such a large rise in the movement of high profile specialists from Teagasc to the private sector.