Mary Mitchell O'Connor (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Amendment No. 17 proposed by Deputy Martin seeks to increase the membership of the governing body of a technological university by increasing by one the possible maximum number of undergraduate members. Internationally, the size and composition of governing authorities of higher education institutions have been changing. The model generally favoured is a more managerial one with a smaller number of members and a majority of non-academic lay people.

The OECD report on higher education was critical of the size of Irish university governing authorities and recommended that they be reduced in size and their membership reflect the skill set required to govern a university. The Bill seeks to streamline the membership of governing bodies depending on the number of institutes of technology comprise the technological university. The seeking of additional members for any particular grouping, students or otherwise, would increase total membership. Students may be represented on boards by up to three members including a postgraduate student member. I consider this number reasonable relative to the size and composition of the governing boards. Therefore, I do not intend to accept this amendment.

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