asked the Minister for Education whether he has any comment to make on the Hierarchy's statement regarding Catholics and Trinity College; whether merger plans will be affected by the statement; and whether his Department had any meeting with the Hierarchy on this matter prior to the statement.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Statement on Trinity College.
40.
I welcome the Hierarchy's statement. Apart from the contribution it will make to better community relations it will help very considerably with the future arrangements which will fall to be made in order to avoid any unnecessary duplication of university provision in Dublin.
The Deputy will of course appreciate that a factor which contributed very much towards enabling the Hierarchy to make their announcement was the initiative taken by the Government in 1967.
The matter was one which was discussed from time to time with members of the Hierarchy by my Department.
Will the latest statement affect the merger plans which were previously announced? Is the Minister satisfied that the co-operation reached between UCD and Trinity College puts an end to his own particular merger plans?
As I have already said the proposals emanating from the recent talks together with all relevant submissions are being considered by the HEA. It will be for that authority to submit their recommendations to me and I shall submit them to the Government with my own views thereon.
Can I take it that the merger as we know it is dead?
I am not making any statement until I have received the submissions from the HEA.
Is the Minister not aware that one of the reasons given by the Hierarchy for their readiness to lift the ban was the agreement reached by the two Dublin colleges? Since this agreement is diametrically opposed to the concept put forward by the Minister's Department three years ago is Deputy O'Leary not correct in inferring that the merger is now dead?
I cannot commit myself because, as I have said on many occasions in this House, I am awaiting the recommendations of the HEA in relation to this matter. I pointed out in my reply that the Government decision in 1967 helped very considerably towards the present situation in relation to Trinity College.
Is the Minister aware that when Deputy B. Lenihan was Minister for Education he promised he would put it through in the form the late Minister for Education, Mr. O'Malley, designed it and wanted it?
Deputy Faulkner is not going to make that mistake.