Gerard Craughwell (Independent) | Oireachtas source

Is there not a concern over starting to generate income by providing services to industry, which I fully support? However, it needs to be ring-fenced, carefully managed and controlled in order that we do not decide that we have a cash cow and start moving towards the cash cow while leaving behind the core role of the university which is to provide education up to postgraduate level, at which we have been very good. We may be missing out on the cash cow and I would be interested to hear what Ms Lucey has to say.

I visited China in 2000 and the hunger to come here to study was incredible.

In the period 2000 to 2004 there were more than 380 Chinese students at the school in Blackrock at which I taught whereas now there might be ten studying there. Somewhere along the line, we dropped the ball. Going after that cash cow would not be a bad idea because it would mean that the academic aspect of the university would continue. Again, I apologise for interrupting.