Vol. 237 No. 3
asked the Minister for Education whether he has yet asked the Higher Education Authority for their views on Limerick's claim to a university; if not, when he proposes to do so; and if he will indicate when the authority may be expected to furnish their views to him on this matter.
49.
asked the Minister for Education if in view of the recommendations of the Commission on Higher Education and of the Lichfield Report in respect of Limerick's claim to a university he will state why he now considers it necessary to await the views of the Higher Education Authority before reaching a decision on the Limerick university question.
50.
asked the Minister for Education who will have the responsibility for making a final decision on Limerick's claim to a university.
With your permission, a Cheann Comhairle, I propose to take Questions Nos. 48, 49 and 50 together.
One of the basic functions of the Higher Education Authority is to review the country's needs in higher education. It follows automatically that the Authority will have to advert in that connection to Limerick's claim to a university. The final decision on that claim will be made by the Government.
I have no reason to think that there will be any undue delay in obtaining the views of the Authority on the matter.
Is the Minister aware that, as a result of views which he expressed publicly in Limerick in May of this year, again in August and later in September, the impression was created in Limerick that a favourable decision in relation to a university there was imminent? Is he further aware that, as a result of the replies he gave here to Parliamentary questions in the past fortnight, the hopes of the people of Limerick have been dashed and the Minister has left himself wide open to charges of misleading the people before the by-election and again before the referendum? Would the Minister please clarify the situation? What is the position and when are we going to have an answer?
I can only counsel patience and, by patience in that respect, I do not mean an inordinately long period of time.
(Cavan): Is it likely to come before the general election?
The Minister is not thinking of getting the Minister for Agriculture and Fisheries to make a statement on the matter?
