Patrick O'Donovan (Limerick County, Fine Gael)
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Just before the vote, one of the things I wrote down was that the Senator did not want academic freedoms to be threatened and I entirely agree with that. I also do not want any individual, member of an academic staff or a student in any university or HEI to feel threatened by who they are for whatever reason. In my understanding, that is what the whole concept of this framework is, given that it is not just used in Ireland and the United Kingdom but is also used in the United States, Canada, India and other countries. There is an acceptance around the world now that there are basic norms. In response to getting public moneys into education, what the Senator said is absolutely correct. Threats, for whatever reason, should not be present.

For whatever a person wants to study, how they present themselves or how they identify, they should not feel threatened by that. The charter also talks about a flexible framework and is designed to ensure diversity whereby different individuals, ideas and perspectives are valued, which goes to the kernel of autonomy within education. The Government does not in any way impinge on that. It also complements fundamental commitments to academic freedom. It helps promote the voices of all. It recognises each institution, department and professional unit has different equality challenges. It does something very important that relates to my previous occupation; one of its goals is to tackle the under-representation of men in particular disciplines, which is something I think is really valuable considering the shortage of men in primary education. On top of all of that, while that is the framework and the basis on which they operate, national legislation also exists to ensure that people are protected and that academic freedoms are protected.

Going back to what I said a while ago, the Higher Education Authority Act 2022 is fundamental in this regard. The Senator, therefore, is right and I agree with him. Threats have no place in a university, whether it might be threats to people's academic integrity, their belief systems or to who and what they present themselves as.