Mary Mitchell O'Connor (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

As Senators will be aware, we recently discussed at some length an amendment on the elements they considered appropriate to the ethos of a technological university related to section 9. They are seeking to include such elements or a further elaboration on them in a new stand-alone section. I do not take the view that such an approach is appropriate. The Bill does not purport in any section to establish or dictate the ethos of a technological university. What it does, however, is specify the functions of the technological university and requires it, under section 91(1)(k), in so far as possible in the performance of these functions, to serve the community and public interest in certain ways.

It is a matter for each technological university to be autonomous in its own right in the flexibility of its approach to the precise nature of its ethos. In so doing, it shall have regard to the performance of its functions, including the right to academic freedom, as set out in the Bill, rather than there being some generic version enshrined in legislation. As I have highlighted in some considerable detail, the various elements cited by the Minister in his latest amendment - creativity, autonomy, intellectual inquiry, innovation and engaged citizenship - are adequately provided for in other sections. It is also noteworthy that under section 10 which relates to academic freedom, the Bill, in section 10(1)(b) refers explicitly to the independent ethos of the technological university, thereby copperfastening the underlying principle that the ethos of the technological university is not to be generically or legislatively set out but is to be established independently by each relevant institution. As such, I consider the amendment inappropriate and do not accept it.