Michael D Higgins (Galway West, Labour)

The Tánaiste drew our attention to an answer given by the Taoiseach earlier this week in response to a question on legislation. When is the legislation to abolish the National University of Ireland likely to come before the House? My colleague and Labour Party spokesperson on education has submitted notice to the office of the Ceann Comhairle to raise this matter on the Adjournment. The Minister for Education and Science has extraordinarily decided not to use this House but rather to announce outside this House that he is to abolish the National University of Ireland. Which item of legislation in the Government legislative programme will achieve this option? Is it proposed to add to the legislative programme as circulated to achieve this? There will be an opportunity for my colleague to discuss this in some detail.

I attended the meeting at Farmleigh and met the international community, many of whom were graduates of the National University of Ireland. The idea that the Minister for Education and Science would turn his back entirely on the Dáil-----

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