Lynn Ruane (Independent) | Oireachtas source

Senator Ó Céidigh spoke about the board he is on, perhaps in Galway. It was somewhere in the west of Ireland. Institutes of technology do not historically have as positive and as established a student representation as the universities. As they are now going to become part of the university sector, we are trying to put them on the same footing as what currently exists in the college structure. I sat on the governing board and finance board of Trinity College. Our education officer and three student convenors sat on the academic council. It has always been a very positive, welcoming experience. This is about creating the space to allow for the same strength across the technological universities. It has always been quite a positive experience.

The Bill as currently worded states that the academic council shall have "such number of students of the technological university as it considers appropriate". I noticed in the Minister of State's comments from the last debate that she said that because there will be student representation on the governing boards which will set the regulations for students on the academic council, the students' voice will be heard and that they will be able to advocate for a given number of students to be on the council. However, on some governing boards there will be as few as one student. If there is ever a vote, they will not have enough power or say to sway it in order to ensure that there is student representation on the academic councils.

I will probably not push amendment No. 19 and I will focus on amendment No. 20, which is a very reasonable amendment. It just changes the term "appropriate" to "but not less than 1” so that, at the very least, there is sure to be one student representative on an academic council.