Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Senator for raising this matter, which I am taking on behalf of the Minister, Deputy Foley. As noted by the Senator, in the early years of the State the Department of Education had a direct role in funding and oversight of teacher training colleges, which provided all primary initial teacher education, while preparation of teachers for post-primary education took place largely in universities. Reforms in the 1960s and 1970s saw adjustments to primary initial teacher education programmes and increased State attention on post-primary initial teacher education programmes, due to the introduction of free second-level education. In 1971, driven by wider reforms across the education system, the Higher Education Authority was established. During the 1970s, the teacher education programme was expanded from two years to three years and each teacher training college was affiliated to a university. Today, all programmes of initial teacher education for primary and post-primary levels are subject to accreditation by the Teaching Council for the purposes of registration. Academic accreditation from the relevant awarding body is a key requirement within this.

As regards the awarding of honorary degrees, Irish higher education institutions are autonomous bodies, as set out in legislation, and, as such, the management of academic affairs, including the awarding of degrees, is a matter for each individual institution. Higher education institutions may grant honorary degrees at their discretion, subject to particular procedures and criteria. For some institutions, staff, students and alumni of the institution can nominate candidates for honorary degrees. For others, members of the public may also make a nomination. Honorary degrees are typically awarded by a higher education institution to acknowledge an individual’s outstanding contribution to scholarship, society, culture or civil society. A significant connection to an institution in some capacity is often a criterion in the evaluation of nominees. The Department of Education has no role in those processes and it is not within the discretion of the Minister to award an honorary degree. The Minister cannot direct an institution to confer an honorary degree.