Paddy Burke (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Séamus was an outstanding and very efficient public official, who always came back to Members when we had queries for the library. He treated every Member of both Houses in the same manner.He will be a huge loss to the library service and a huge loss to the House. I wish him well on his retirement next week.

I ask the Leader to ask the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science to come to the House in regard to the technological universities Bill. What is the position in regard to the west and north-west technological university? Has an application been made yet in regard to the proposed university? The other issue is that of governance so that each area would be represented within the university, each area would have a representative on the governing body and each would play an important part in regard to the governance of the proposed technological university. This is a Bill and an area that brings education right to the regions. It is a hugely important step forward and it is very important at this point in time that we would have the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science to the House.

Like other Members, I would like to express my sadness at the closing of Ulster Bank. It will be a huge loss as a banking force to the country and, not least, to the 2,800 people working in it and its thousands of customers. We have an outstanding branch in Castlebar, the county town of Mayo, and it will be a huge loss to our area. The Minister needs to come to the House for a debate on banking in this country and I look forward to that taking place in the near future.