David Norris (Independent) | Oireachtas source

As far as I know, Trinity College Dublin still retains the titles of "Trinity College Dublin" and "Dublin University". I think it was intended originally that there would be other colleges of Dublin University but the authorities never got around to doing it. There is a good deal of snobbery. People want to call things "universities". Of course, Waterford Institute of Technology should be recognised as a university. It offers a wide range of courses in the humanities, music, the arts and so on and it is quite right that it should have this status. A number of years ago I fought for the college in Waterford to be looked on as a university. There are situations where one could raise queries about some of these entities being described as universities because they do not offer the full range of courses. I have received communications from within the institute of technology sector. People on the teaching staff have expressed concern to me about the mad rush towards describing everything as a university. They have said the technological third level groups have a noble function in offering apprenticeships and facilitating practical learning, etc.

With regard to the amendment, I agree with the proposal to give the Minister the right to specify a name other than "technological university". It should be possible to describe it as something else, particularly if that if what the students want. This nonsense that everybody has to go to a university is wrong. It confirms or establishes in some way the idea that a university, by its very nature, is better than a technological college. It is wonderful when people are made electronic engineers or carpenters. They should not be ashamed or want to creep in and say "when I was at uni". It is all nonsense. I support the proposal because it is important that the Minister have the right to denominate a name that does not include the word "university". In this House we should be saying technological and practical applied courses are just as good as those involving speculation in remote areas of philosophy and all the rest of it. We should be saying to people whose intelligence is practical rather than academic that they are just as good as any other student.