Niall Collins (Limerick, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister of State for his reply. It is fair to say that we are moving in the right direction concerning this matter, and I want to acknowledge that. The Minister of State has indicated that he intends to establish a review. It is important that, in the first instance, this review should not rule out any wider investigation if it concludes that such is required and merited.

The imminent report, whether it is a full or interim one, should be referred to the Minister for Education and Skills, not to the Higher Education Authority or the Department. I await the terms of reference with interest, because they will have to be broad enough to include the whistleblowers to whom both Deputy O'Dea and I have spoken. Their allegations and stories are not in the public domain. They will also have to be afforded an opportunity to speak in confidence to the review panel. That is critical, because there are more people out there who are saying the same thing. They cannot all be wrong.

The Minister did not address the request made by Deputy O'Dea and myself about the High Court proceedings against the Limerick Leaderand against Mr. Alan English. That is a critical point, because taxpayers' money is being used to gag a provincial newspaper and a newspaper editor personally. Jobs could potentially be at stake. By the way, the University of Limerick has issued the proceedings. It is a corporate body, not an individual, acting against a newspaper. It is a big State-funded university against an organisation that is providing a lot of jobs, which is an important point. I ask the Minister of State and the senior Minister to call on the University of Limerick to withdraw their High Court proceedings.

See this speech in context