Gerard Craughwell (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I have just returned to the House. Speaking about academic freedom, I spent quite a lot of time in further education in Blackrock, as the Minister knows. In the late 1990s and early 2000s, we had the good fortune to attract quite a number of students from China. They were excellent in information technology, IT, and various other areas but in areas where they were asked to express an opinion, there was always a difficulty. Why do I bring that up with respect to equality and academic freedom? Substantial funding has come into academic institutions from China through Confucius Institutes and so forth. It is important that we underpin academic freedom and ensure that regardless of where this welcome funding comes from, we protect the freedom of institutions to develop and deliver programmes in a fair, open and equal way and with full academic freedom.

Having said that, I am also aware that, from time to time, academic freedom is used as a shield to prevent questions being asked. I am aware of one particular institution, which I will not name, in which a particular practice went on. The offended party contacted the institution, said the practice was outrageous and they deserved and required the right of reply to the particular programme that was being run. They were told they would not be given a right of reply because the lecturer in question was operating under academic freedom. The matter was escalated and went to the top of the institution in question. The answer came back that academic freedom meant there could be no interference. There is a fine line to be watched there. I am 100% behind academic freedom, but we must also be careful that it is not used to mask other issues.

I spoke about China, which was not the area that gave rise to this problem. I know from my work on Joint Committee on Foreign Affairs and Defence and the debate in the House on Taiwan that the Chinese do not take kindly to any sort of criticism. From that point of view, this is something we need to watch. It is a delicate matter for the Minister and whoever succeeds him as Minister. I hope that will not be for a long time in light of the vote this afternoon.