Dáil Éireann debate -
Wednesday, 28 May 1941

Vol. 83 No. 9

Committee on Finance. - Vote 71—3Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies.

Mr. Derrig

I move:

Go ndeontar suim ná raghaidh thar £11,200 chun slánuithe na suime is gá chun íoctha an Mhuirir a thiocfaidh chun bheith iníoctha i rith na bliana dar críoch an 31adh lá de Mhárta, 1942, chun Deontaisí d'Institiúid Ard-Léighinn Bhaile Atha Cliath (Uimh. 13 de 1940).

That a sum not exceeding £11,200, be granted to complete the sum necessary to defray the Charge which will come in course of payment during the year ending the 31st day of March, 1942, for Grants to the Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies (No. 13 of 1940).

Mr. McMenamin

In the Minister's statement, the reference to the School of Advanced Studies occupies only three lines. I wonder is this institute to be as insignificant as all that? Is it in full operation? I should like to hear what is being done about this matter. Has the money which has been voted by this House been put into operation? What are the prospects of the institute with regard to students? Owing to war conditions, will it be confined to students of this country, and on that account will it be worth while keeping the place open at all or will it be carried on in such a way that it can operate irrespective of whether there are students there or not? I should like to hear the Minister tell us something about this place.

Mr. Derrig

The position is that the institute has not yet been a complete year in operation. It is not so very long ago since the question of its establishment was exhaustively discussed in the House. The two schools, the School of Celtic Studies and the School of Theoretical Physics, have been established, and are at work in the home provided for them, Nos. 64 and 65 Merrion Square. There were three senior professors appointed, as I think the House knows, in the School of Celtic Studies, and it is believed that an assistant professor may be appointed. This would be a temporary post. The intention is that a small number of special students should be brought together and trained, so that they would be in a position afterwards to do more specialised work on Irish phonetics, the phonetics of the different dialects.

Mr. McMenamin

Will those students be subsidised by the State? Will they get scholarships or studentships?

Mr. Derrig

Oh yes. They will either get scholarships or be appointed to temporary posts for a short period. Only in the case of very highly qualified persons, for whom special work is being laid out, will permanent appointments be made. This is merely a beginning — special work on modern Irish dialects. As well as that, I understand that special texts out of Irish manuscripts in the Royal Irish Academy are being examined with a view to having them edited, and possibly work may also be started on a dictionary of later Irish. With regard to the School of Theoretical Physics, there is only one senior professor. An assistant professor has now been appointed to this school, and it is hoped that he will be able to attend for duty at the Institute very shortly. As well as that, the board of the school have decided to give four scholarships to suitable persons whom they consider qualified to carry on studies or research at the Institute. Two courses of lectures have been carried out in the School of Theoretical Physics since it was established, one for students who have begun the work, and a very senior course for university lecturers.

Vote put and agreed to.