David Norris (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I wish to raise two issues. The first is motion No. 9 on the Order Paper, which criticises the Bank of Ireland for undemocratically stopping the bank accounts of the Ireland Palestine Solidarity Campaign. There was general support for this motion, including significant support from the Government, and many Senators' names are attached to it. When can Government time be allocated for the motion be taken? If it is not taken soon, the urgency will be lost.

The other issue is the Confucius Institutes. UCD has accepted one of these. They are centres for the teaching of the Chinese language, apparently, but they have also been described by China's former Vice Premier Li Changchun as an important part of China's propaganda set up. That is very interesting. The institutes have been used across the United States to stop visits by the Dalai Lama, for example, and to stop discussions in universities about the situation in Taiwan. Where universities allow such discussions, they must subscribe to the One-China Policy, so it is clearly a propaganda arm. A sum of €3 million was provided by the Chinese Government for the institute in UCD, another €3 million was provided by the Irish Government and UCD put in €1.4 million. That was a total of €7.4 million, but the bill has risen to €10.2 million and it is now seeking extra cash. I am glad the Department of Education and Skills has refused to give any more. It is right, because I believe we must look into this institute.

American and Canadian academics have expressed considerable concern about this. Confucius Institutes have been established on 465 campuses in 123 countries, so they are a significant part of China's soft power approach. In December 2014, the Canadian Association of University Teachers called on all universities currently hosting Confucius Institutes to stop doing so. In other words, it called for a halt to this development. The American Association of University Professors made the same call to universities in the United States. Its statement said the Confucius Institutes "function as an arm of the Chinese state... and advance a state agenda in the recruitment and control of academic staff, in the choice of curriculum, and in the restriction of debate". I have spoken on academic freedom and freedom of conscience on many occasions. In fact, I and a very distinguished representative of UCD tabled amendments to the Universities (Amendment) Bill relating to the question of academic freedom. The amendments were so significant that they were taken up wholesale by the Swedish Government, so I am not speaking from a background of anti-Chinese prejudice. I am not prejudiced against the Chinese, but questions must be asked when a country funds a propaganda arm of another state with which there might be serious disagreements.

I will conclude by putting this in context. Quite recently, Members of this Parliament were warned by the Government not to attend celebrations of the Taiwanese Government. I believe we must draw a line in the sand where China is interfering in-----