Erin McGreehan (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I accept the institutions are autonomous bodies and the universities are autonomous in the awarding of honorary degrees. However, what I am asking the Minister of State to bring back to the Minister, Deputy Foley, and I, too, will bring back to her, is that this is not a normal situation. As a teacher, the Minister, Deputy Foley, knows teachers who trained prior to 1974. It is within her ability to support this call and to write to the universities to invite them to consider this at their discretion. It is not a normal situation.UK universities have honoured Irish people and given them an honorary degree as an acknowledgment of their exceptional work for this country educating people, dare I say, including most of us in this room. The Minister can support this. While she might not be able to do it, confer it, or direct it, but she can support it.