Jim D'Arcy (Fine Gael)

I have a certain amount of sympathy for Senator Barrett's point about academic freedom and the curriculum. However, the level of external supervision over qualifications and quality assurance in our third level education system proposed in the Bill is not such as to dictate curriculum or any such intrusion. A certain amount of oversight is necessary. I am not familiar with the system Senator Barrett described as going into the ground but I know that, in Europe, there is a system of external oversight in line with other education systems. I do not support the amendment.