Brian Hayes (Dublin South West, Fine Gael)

One of the reasons the Minister is all over the place on this issue is that he has been caught. He does not understand the nature or detail of the decision he has taken. Quite frankly, hundreds of thousands of graduates of the NUI are laughing at him and at his complete failure to justify the decision. What will happen to the €12 million investment fund which is still within the National University of Ireland and which was set aside for scholarships and awards to students?

I refer to the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland that greatly supports the branding of its college and its degrees through the National University of Ireland, which has an international reputation of which even the Minister should be aware. At a time when we are trying to brand Ireland internationally, abolishing an organisation which has an international brand of more than 100 years standing seems not only to be an act of stupidity on the Minister's part but an act in which he has not engaged in consultation with any of the players concerned. This issue has a long way to run and I suspect it will run long after the Minister is no longer Minister for Education and Science.

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