While I do not mean to be divisive, part of the origins of the problems lies with the Dublin Institute of Technology Act 1992, under which the Conservatory of Music and Drama was brought under the wing of the Dublin Institute of Technology which, I know, has the ultimate intention of being recognised as a university. Only a small element of the work undertaken by the Conservatory of Music and Drama is relevant to the Dublin Institute of Technology as far as it is concerned. It is interested in third level education; it is not really interested in the ethos of this school – the provision of education in music to the widest possible variety of children. It would be a dreadful mistake if we were to allow elitism and exclusion to enter this area that is so enriching to the lives of young people who do not all have to be Yehudi Menuhin, their lives can be enormously enriched by learning how to play instruments and appreciate music.

This was the intention of those who established in 1890 the Municipal School of Music which was dedicated to the purposes of musical instruction at moderate charges. Maud Davin, in an address to the Dublin Rotary Club in 1931, said:

Their ambitions for the City School were as high as any other nation's, and they wished first to impress on all that the Municipal School of Music belonged to the people of Dublin of every class and creed, and that no child in the city possessed of talent need be deprived of that training which might help him or her to be placed among the great singers or the greatest composers of the world.

That is what is happening. Fees are being raised, places restricted and people rejected. In a report on the Municipal School of Music in 1934, Joseph O'Brien said "One of the main aims of the school is to make it possible for the children of the people to take up the study of music in its various phases, and to develop the talent of each student to its fullest extent."

I received a letter from a neighbour who is a parent of two children. It reads:

This is about the young dedicated children from the age of four to seventeen who are currently . but only currently . students of the college of music. No less than a cultural rape and bludgeoning to death of their enthusiasm and musical talents is about to be carried out on these young people under the guise of . wait for it, cutbacks.

Senator, I have two children in the college; they have such knots in their stomachs that you can almost feel them physically! They need me to do what I can to save their places and protect their future.

A statement from the parents group contains a number of points that must be borne in mind:

A number of academic areas are under review, which include the Conservatory of Music and Drama and the provision of additional apprenticeship places; a possible further cut of 150 out of a total of 300 teaching hours per week across the part-time area (mainly instrumental tuition) effective from September 2003; the intention of cancelling both the pre-instrumental and junior workshop classes which could affect up to 100 children; duration of musicianship classes to be reduced from one hour to forty five minutes; significant increases in student fees; auditions to assess every part-time student with a view to reducing the number of students.

The Dublin Institute of Technology Act incorporated the college of music in its entirety into the Dublin Institute of Technology without any division of educational areas into first, second and third levels. The college of music had offered, since 1987, degree level qualifications in association with Trinity College. It is worth noting that the Department of Education and Science continued to give the same proportion of overall budget to the Dublin Institute of Technology towards music education as it did to the City of Dublin Vocational Educational Committee when the college of music was an independent college.

The first sign of trouble came in 1994. From then on, the college of music's prospectus was permanently withdrawn from publication so parents had no knowledge of the courses on offer. The result was that the general public is no longer informed of the part-time classes in instrumental music, which have been the traditional work of the municipal school of music since 1890. The college is no longer allowed to canvass for students.

When the Dublin Institute of Technology structures were drafted, the following phrase came from the statement of Dr. Goldsmith "It is recommended that Dublin Institute of Technology should retain first and second level only until an alternative arrangement is put in place that the Dublin Institute of Technology should seek to provide a junior school for the very talented 1%, who might be expected to pursue a career in music performance." That is elitism and goes against the fundamental ethos under which, in apparently more liberal days, this college was established.

When the faculty structures were introduced in 1996, the college of music lost its status as a college with four schools and was reduced to a school within a faculty with four departments. In 1997, there were major fee increases and students were not allowed to take up places. In the spring of 1997, parents were informed that the fees were being increased for £165 to £250. They were also told they had to pay the fees in June, whereas previously they had paid them in September. In September, new students who were willing to pay fees were not allowed to enrol. Heads of departments were instructed that they could only fill 50 places. In September 1997, students were refused places and part-time students reduced from 2,000 to 1,400. On 23 January 2003, at an emergency meeting of staff of the Dublin Institute of Technology Conservatory of Music and Drama, the director of the conservatory announced to staff that all students were to be reassessed and re-auditioned in March, tuition fees were to be increased and parents would be instructed to pay fees for the new academic year by April. This is a disastrous situation which militates against other things.

They are told, with regard to September enrolments, that they must pay fees by 1 August, which means that it affects people from Trinity College Dublin, Mater Dei, St. Patrick's College and UCD who traditionally received instrumental tuition in the college of music. They will not know, until after the CAO confirms the university places, whether or not they will be in Dublin, so how can they possibly pay their fees by 1 August? This is complete nonsense.

It is worth quoting a letter from Dr. Goldsmith. I do not blame him because I know his intention is to create a great university institution, but must the primary element be shed like a jettisoned rocket and allowed to career back to earth? It would be a real pity. The letter, dated 5 March 2003, is addressed to Ms M. Keane, Ms M. Sheridan and Mr. M. Stanley of the parents groups and states "I have indicated I am not yet in a position to confirm how many students we will be able to accept next year for part-time music tuition." It says nothing about response to talent or need, but merely mentions numbers. The letter continues "The institute has always maintained that it is not possible for Dublin Institute of Technology to provide music education at primary and secondary level on a scale appropriate to needs in Dublin and surrounding areas."

It is lamentable that the very man charged with responsibility has to admit he is not capable of delivering it. The reason is because of the forced and inappropriate union of these various institutions. The penultimate paragraph of the letter states:

Following the Government's decision not to proceed with plans for the proposed Irish Academy for the Performing Arts, we believe there is an opportunity to once again open the debate on how music education can be truly advanced in Ireland, both for the elite performers in our society and for those for whom it is a hobby and a most rewarding aspect of personal development.

That was the intention of the founders of this great Dublin institution, which has been violated and prevented from fulfilling the ambitions and wishes of its original founders by the current situation. I look to the Government to ensure that the conservatory is permitted to continue to perform its marvellous function because it benefits the young people of Ireland as its pupils are drawn from a wide range of people across the country.

This funding provision for the Dublin Institute of Technology was decided having regard to available resources and to current commitments and priorities. The Minister for Education and Science is anxious to see that problems arising in bodies coming under the aegis of the Department of Education and Science are addressed. However, it would be inappropriate for the Minister to become involved in matters that are properly the function of the governing body and management of the institute.