Results 881-900 of 18,741 for speaker:Michael McDowell

Seanad: Higher Education Authority Bill 2022: Committee Stage (6 Jul 2022)

Michael McDowell: Somebody is.

Seanad: Higher Education Authority Bill 2022: Committee Stage (6 Jul 2022)

Michael McDowell: I want to note what was actually said. The Deputy Leader said: "In relation to the HEA Bill, Minister Harris was asked for more time on this. We were told it had to be passed by the recess."

Seanad: Higher Education Authority Bill 2022: Committee Stage (6 Jul 2022)

Michael McDowell: The Deputy Leader of this House said-----

Seanad: Higher Education Authority Bill 2022: Committee Stage (6 Jul 2022)

Michael McDowell: -----that time was sought and the Minister indicated that the legislation had to be dealt with before the recess. The Minister must take responsibility for the fact the legislation is not going to be debated.

Seanad: Higher Education Authority Bill 2022: Committee Stage (6 Jul 2022)

Michael McDowell: I support Senator Norris's amendment.

Seanad: Higher Education Authority Bill 2022: Committee Stage (6 Jul 2022)

Michael McDowell: The Minister is correct in saying the significance of this amendment must be seen in the context of proposals to amend section 16. At the moment, section 16 says: The Board shall consist of the following members: (a) a chairperson; (b) 11 ordinary members. It goes on to say: ...the chairperson and the ordinary members of the Board shall be appointed by the Minister from among...

Seanad: Higher Education Authority Bill 2022: Committee Stage (6 Jul 2022)

Michael McDowell: I was glad of the support I got in that debate from Senator Ó Donnghaile and others but I make the point-----

Seanad: Higher Education Authority Bill 2022: Committee Stage (6 Jul 2022)

Michael McDowell: I am sharing it out. For a lot of these very important institutions of State we are putting in place now, other legislation guarantees a balance within the composition of those bodies. It might stipulate not less than one person who shall have this experience, or one person who has that experience or, in the case of the judicial appointments legislation brought before this House the last...

Seanad: Higher Education Authority Bill 2022: Committee Stage (6 Jul 2022)

Michael McDowell: That is about 50 years old.

Seanad: Higher Education Authority Bill 2022: Committee Stage (6 Jul 2022)

Michael McDowell: The Senator's point is academic.

Seanad: Higher Education Authority Bill 2022: Committee Stage (Resumed) (6 Jul 2022)

Michael McDowell: I agree with the Minister that where a Minister makes appointments, they are subject to retrospective scrutiny by the media and by Members of the Houses but the simple fact is once those appointments are made, they cannot be unmade unless some massive scandal has emerged and the person is removed under the statutory powers. The context for all of this is that - I do not wish to leap ahead...

Seanad: Higher Education Authority Bill 2022: Committee Stage (Resumed) (6 Jul 2022)

Michael McDowell: We will not get into that.

Seanad: Higher Education Authority Bill 2022: Committee Stage (Resumed) (6 Jul 2022)

Michael McDowell: I make the point that we are talking about fully preserving autonomy but we are also giving the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the right to enunciate policy and are giving the HEA the right to cut off funding for people who do not comply with the Minister's policies. I find that that is not consistent with what I used to believe was university...

Seanad: Higher Education Authority Bill 2022: Committee Stage (Resumed) (6 Jul 2022)

Michael McDowell: For the time being.

Seanad: Higher Education Authority Bill 2022: Committee Stage (Resumed) (6 Jul 2022)

Michael McDowell: Does the Minister see any role for the HEA and–or guidelines issued by the HEA in ensuring universities, lecturers, student societies and student unions are free to pursue diverse opinions without being bullied out of it by one ideology or another on university campuses, in particular?

Seanad: Higher Education Authority Bill 2022: Committee Stage (Resumed) (6 Jul 2022)

Michael McDowell: I strongly support the amendment.

Seanad: Higher Education Authority Bill 2022: Committee Stage (Resumed) (6 Jul 2022)

Michael McDowell: Not agreed.

Seanad: Higher Education Authority Bill 2022: Second Stage (28 Jun 2022)

Michael McDowell: I do.

Seanad: Higher Education Authority Bill 2022: Second Stage (28 Jun 2022)

Michael McDowell: A little.

Seanad: Higher Education Authority Bill 2022: Second Stage (28 Jun 2022)

Michael McDowell: I welcome the Minister to the House. This is a very important Bill. Sadly, this this House has got to the stage where contributions are limited to five minutes, which is inadequate. W.B. Yeats’s great speech “We are no petty people” would have been ruled out after about two paragraphs, given how we now operate things. I have huge problems with this Bill. I want to...