Lynn Ruane (Independent) | Oireachtas source

Amendment No. 1 specifically defines a student union as an independent body elected by students. The electoral mandate is the key element here, not the recognition of a particular Minister or a governing authority. We spoke about this in detail last week but it remains an unanswered and fundamental point. If we say external recognition of a students' union has more weight legally, rather than an electoral mandate, that will serve to undermine the democratic frameworks both within student unions themselves and within higher education institutions. While the current Minister engages extensively with students’ unions, future Ministers or future governments may have a very different relationship with student leaders. We need only look to Hungary, where there has been a systematic effort over the past number of years to dismantle academic independence and repress the voices of academics and students who protested this. We are fortunate that Ireland is not in a similar situation. However, this legislation needs to be airtight to ensure that, regardless of who may be the Minister or what the policies of any future government are, student unions are able to represent the people who elect them. At later points in this legislation, with regard to provisions relating to governing authorities, there is a deeply concerning lack of specification that it must be student union representatives appointed to governing authorities. I urge the Minister to accept this amendment as it clearly sets out that having an electoral mandate is what gives a student union its ability to advocate for students and their welfare.

Amendment No. 9 seeks a report following the conclusion of the citizens' assembly on education. The Minister would have to prepare and a lay a report before both Houses of the Oireachtas outlining how he or she plans to implement or reflect the recommendations of the citizens' assembly in respect of higher education with regard to amendments to the provisions of this Act and policy relating to higher education in the State more broadly. We have spoken at length about how certain elements of this foundational legislation are somewhat pre-empting the citizen’s assembly on education. It would be beneficial to the operation of the Act in the future if there was a requirement to integrate and reflect the recommendations from the citizen’s assembly within this legislation.

Amendment No. 114 would provide that in preparing a strategic plan, the chief executive of a university must consult with representative organisations of students belonging to priority groups. When drafting this amendment I was thinking of groups like Mincéirs Whiden in NUI Galway and the UCD LGBTQ+ Society.