Mary Upton (Dublin South Central, Labour)
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Question 13: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if he will ensure that between his Department and the Department of Arts, Sport and Tourism funding for some form of undergraduate acting programme will be guaranteed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24572/08]

Mary Upton (Dublin South Central, Labour)
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Question 36: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the plans he has to reinstate an undergraduate acting programme here in view of the fact that the programme run by Trinity College has been discontinued; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24570/08]

Batt O'Keeffe (Cork North West, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 13 and 36 together.

Universities such as Trinity College Dublin are autonomous academically independent institutions within the meaning of the Universities Act, 1997. My Department does not have any function in relation to their day to day operational affairs. Universities receive a block grant from the Higher Education Authority and it is a matter for each college to determine how it is allocated internally. The decision of any third level institution to provide, or to discontinue, any programme of study is a matter for the institution concerned and it would, therefore, not be appropriate for me to intervene in this matter.