Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick City, Labour) | Oireachtas source

This amendment is about academic freedom. The principle of academic freedom is a defining characteristic of high quality, higher education and research throughout the world. The Bill rightly ensures that academic freedom shall apply in technological universities in the same manner as it applies in universities. However, it is understood internationally that academic freedom applies to academic staff of higher education institutions and both this Bill and the Universities Act 1997 reflect that understanding.

Amendment No. 11 in extending academic freedom to students would put technological universities in a different position to their peers, both within the State and internationally. That would be a real issue in terms of how we are consistent across the sector. That is my concern there.