Sean Barrett (Independent)

I will not press it for the moment. We are really intruding at this stage into the way Ireland's education operates. I thank the Minister of State for his reference to the work of people like Mary Robinson. She grew up in a system where, for example, the provost of Trinity College would never say he was the CEO and that others should stay quiet and touch the forelock. That is the nature of education. In my own case, I never believed in national airlines but that was Government policy. I would argue against requiring people in education to touch the forelock to Government policy and not use their brains. Like many others, I do not believe the banks should have been bailed out. Why can people not express opinions on public policy? It is too totalitarian for people in education. We need more ideas around the system. I appreciate what the Minister of State says about the administrative requirements, but it will make this person a complete administrator and utterly out of touch. Nobody in the education system can pull rank like that, claiming to be the one who is right and telling others not to criticise public policy because they know it all and the others do not. The nature of education is that these discussions should take place. To make it as rigid and regimented as this, with somebody operating in the way that is envisaged in this Bill, is bizarre to my mind. Maybe the person in question will have to get rid of his television because Government policy is criticised all the time. That is how we advance towards better policies. That is what we are trying to do at the Joint Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform. That is why I opposed national airlines and the rescue of banks, and will continue to do so. It is the role of education to have that level of questioning. It is not supposed to be totalitarian as envisaged in this legislation.

We will see if something can happen on Report Stage. The Minister of State might consider that. The president of the University of Limerick has views on everything. Should we put a muzzle on him? I do not agree with most of his views but that is what education is about. It is great and I would hate to see the alternative system. I do not think anybody in the country wishes to see senior people being muzzled. To say one is an administrator and does not take part in discussions is not really a good defence in this day and age. We have gone to the brink of bankruptcy and are trying to rescue the country, so any ideas people have should be welcomed. People should participate in such debates. I am delighted previous Members of this House, such as Ken Whitaker, were not bound by those constraints and did a huge amount of good for the country. This is traditional, but I do not know why it is in place in this day and age. I will allow the Minister to move on and we may discuss the issue at a later stage to see if it is possible to have a more liberal regime.