David Norris (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I strongly support Senator Barrett's amendment. I support the general thrust of what he said - his general remarks about the Royal College of Surgeons and so on - but I think we will come on to that a bit later. The definitions given under the interpretation section by the Government in this Bill are quite extraordinarily lax and flabby. "Education provider" means a person in the State who provides a programme of education and training - a person, an individual. That is daft. This could include the couple who are entangled with the State at the moment because they are providing education at home for their children. It is so broad that it covers everything. This Bill is not dealing with persons, rather it is dealing with institutions, and so I think the institution should be included in the definition. The provider is not a person. The provider is an institution. I urge the Minister to take this on board.

The Minister's amendment No. 11 begs the question of when a university is not a university. Apparently, it depends on where one is standing when one is looking at it. If one is standing on the Continent of Europe and looking at something, it is a university from Europe but yet it is not a university in Ireland. That is mad as well. I cannot really see why an education provider which is granted a university authorisation under this section cannot describe itself or cause itself to be described as a university other than outside the State or for a specified purpose. This is not Doctor Who and the Tardis. Can an institution suddenly become a university for a specified purpose? I do not think so - certainly not a terribly reputable one. I have difficulties with amendment No. 11 for those reasons but I strongly support Senator Barrett in his aim of tightening up the definitions in this legislation.