Michael McDowell (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the Minister of State to the House. I commend her on this overdue legislation, which I am sure will be worked on closely by Members. I am grateful to Senator Gallagher for permitting me to make a short contribution out of sequence. I propose to raise on Committee Stage the question of designating the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland as a university of medicine and life sciences or health sciences, notwithstanding the provisions of the Universities Acts. The Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland has an important role to play as one of our flagship international third level education providers. It is held back by the fact that it cannot in any sense signal to the world at large its status as a university. I intend to raise this matter on Committee Stage. I hope we can have a debate on that subject at that time.