Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)

I thank the Ceann Comhairle for allowing me to raise the following issue: the decision of the Minister for Education and Science to dissolve the National University of Ireland, NUI, without meaningful consultation with the four constituent universities, namely, UCC, UCD, NUI Galway and NUI Maynooth, and the five recognised colleges to which the NUI makes awards, namely, the Royal College of Surgeons, the National College of Art and Design, the Institute of Public Administration, the Shannon College of Hotel Management and the Milltown Institute; having regard to the absence of the publication of the draft legislation, qualifications (education and training) Bill, which is not due to be published until the end of 2010; in advance of the publication of the report of the Hunt group established in February 2009, which is reviewing the overall strategy for third level education; and in the absence of a vibrant and coherent Government policy to promote Ireland internationally as a centre of excellent for third level education.

In response to the original proposals in the McCarthy report, the NUI published a document in which it stated:

First, it would not save the State any significant moneys whatsoever. McCarthy claims that abolishing NUI would save the Exchequer €3 million annually. The annual State grant is just less than €13,000.

Secondly, it would seriously damage a valuable national brand at home and abroad. NUI degrees enjoy a high recognition nationally and internationally. This is important, particularly in medicine and health sciences. NUI institutions are increasingly successful both in attracting international students to Ireland and in delivering programmes on campuses abroad. Abolishing NUI would severely inhibit this growing internationalisation.

Thirdly, the member institutions of NUI all support its retention. The four constituent universities and the five recognised colleges all support the retention of NUI and the continuation of its role as the centre of a federal university.

Fourthly, the removal of the NUI role in awarding qualifications would not serve the interests of the NUI recognised colleges.

Fifthly, the abolition of NUI would dismantle a national institution, strongly associated with the State since its foundation in 1908, which has a proud record of support for the language, history and culture of Ireland.

The promised legislative changes will be incorporated in Seanad reform legislation under the guidance of a Department that cannot get its own legislative act together. The notion that it will hitch this wagon of institutional reform to the much more dubious train of Seanad reform is absolute nonsense.

What the Department of Education and Science has done is to create an atmosphere of complete instability and uncertainty as to the future of these institutions. It promised that change will be delivered through a most dubious vehicle, that of Seanad reform, which if it is to go the direction that all of us believe will probably be necessary will also require a constitutional referendum.

It is illogical and inexplicable that this instant and unilateral announcement was made yesterday at three minutes to midnight in terms of the consultation process. The chancellor and the registrar of the NUI were summoned at 11 a.m. yesterday by the officials of the Minister for Education and Science to be told by the Minister that this was going ahead. Many people in some of our key universities received no advance knowledge that this was likely to happen.

The Minister of State has a good record on educational matters and by virtue of his professional background has a very clear understanding of this. If we want to become a knowledge economy, which is a shared aspiration throughout the House, and if we want to use the resources of our educational institutions which have an international reputation then dismantling the brand of the National University of Ireland is not the way to go. Already, damage has been done by the Department of Education and Science in scaling down the marketing efforts associated with promoting Ireland as a centre of international educational excellence. The education Ireland Bill has been demoted to the point where it will not be brought forward. This admission has been made by the Minister for Education and Science, Deputy O'Keeffe. In addition, his suggestion that responsibility for the marketing abroad of Irish educational excellence at third level, which came to his attention during a recent visit to China, should be carried out by Enterprise Ireland has not been picked up by that body.

To add insult to injury, and chaos and uncertainty to a clear well-established situation which the current occupants want to retain and which on its abolition will deliver no saving of any significance to the State, the Minister has introduced this announcement and I ask him to withdraw it and to reconsider what the future should be.

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