Victor Boyhan (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I second the third proposed amendment to the Order of Business. I do so because I am extremely disappointed with the manner in which the Minister gave a commitment regarding the Higher Education Authority Bill. It is an important Bill and I had hoped to discuss several issues relating to it today. One of those issues relates to city and county councillors. I have a schedule in front of me listing the councillors, their party affiliations and the universities they serve. I will speak about it later if I have time. Frankly, I do not think we will have time for that if the Bill is guillotined. I have given a commitment to these people. I contacted these councillors around the country and I have a definitive list in front of me. These are the same people to whose doors we went, seeking a mandate to represent them.

I never shy away from representing city and county councillors. This is a game in which councillors will be stripped from the boards of all these universities. We have seen it with the harbour companies. We did not get an opportunity in this regard in the context of the Land Development Agency Act. We should stand together and make a strong case for city and county councillors who are on these boards. A 12-month transitional period will apply if the Bill is passed but I will not go into that now. It would not be right to use my time on the Order of Business to tease out issues.

Let us be careful. Let us not agree to a guillotine on a debate that affects loads of people but, in particular, the very people who have given us a mandate to represent them in this House. That is an important point. Each Senator makes his or her own decision; that is grand. We have to make our decisions. I will respect whatever decision is made. Let us be clear that if the discussion on this legislation is guillotined, we may not have an opportunity to discuss this critically important issue because of this House and certain of its Members. I ask colleagues to support the proposed amendments to the Order of Business and to stand in solidarity with the broader Higher Education Authority family and group, as well as the city and county councillors who have a rightful place on these boards and are put there by votes, not by favouritism.