Vol. 91 No. 16
I move:—
That a sum not exceeding £44,930 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, 1944, for Grants to Universities and Colleges (8 Edw. 7, c. 38; No. 42 of 1923; No. 32 of 1926; No. 35 of 1929; and No. 27 of 1934), including certain Grants-in-Aid.
In connection with this Estimate, is the Minister for Finance satisfied in his own mind that the State contributions to universities and colleges in this country are adequate for the requirements of those colleges. It seems to me that in our circumstances one of the most vitally necessary things for us to do is to ensure that there shall be available to every section of the community, rich and poor, the highest possible educational facilities. Our universities have not the advantages which the old established universities in Great Britain, the United States of America and other wealthy countries have where vast endowments, which have accumulated over centuries, are available for scholarships and assistance of one kind or another to the students who are enrolled in them. In America, I think it is true to say that the State universities provide university education for the masses of the people without the payment of any fee at all. I have had many friends there, working as domestic servants or in other capacities of one kind or another, who earned their keep while they availed of the university education that was to be had at the State university. I may be wrong, but I would be interested to hear from the Minister if he has satisfied himself that the universities of this country, for which the community is responsible, have the equipment and advantages at their disposal requisite to provide the highest standard of education possible for the students enrolled in them.
I take it that the Minister for Finance has an exceptional opportunity of satisfying himself on this score inasmuch as his colleague, the Taoiseach, is Chancellor of the National University of Ireland and will, no doubt, from time to time make eager representations to him that more generous provision should be made for the institution of which he is Chancellor. I would be glad to have details from the Minister for Finance of the latest and most vigorous representations which the Taoiseach may have made in recent times, or whether we are to infer that the Chancellor is of opinion that the university is getting plenty as it is, or whether he thinks that it ought to get a bit more, and how far the Minister for Finance is getting ready to give way to his influential representations.
I do not think that the line Deputy Dillon suggests is the way the Minister for Finance looks at institutions like the universities or other institutions for which, under the law, he is obliged to provide money It is not my job to see whether they have a sufficiency or not. My job is to try to get the money that I am obliged to pay over to the universities. I do happen to know that some colleges are not satisfied that they have sufficient money to do all that they would like to do. However, we may be hearing more about that in the not far distant future.
The Minister has something in mind?
The colleges have something in mind.
If the Chancellor has something in mind, I suppose we may assume that the Minister has it as well.
No, sir.
