asked the Minister for Education whether, further to a reply of 28th June on the subject of appointments of university lecturers at University College, Dublin, an extension of the specified day referred to in Section 2 (3) of the University College Dublin Act, 1960, has as yet been sought or given; whether he has made any attempt to enquire as to the reasons why the extension was not sought at the correct time, and as to what, in fact, has been the position of the lecturers involved; and whether, in view of the desirability from the point of view of academic freedom of granting the greatest possible security of tenure to university teachers generally, he will consider the possibility of having the number of lecturers who must be reappointed from year to year reduced.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Appointments of University Lecturers.
39.
In my previous reply to the Deputy, I informed him that the fact that an extension of the specified day referred to in Section 2 (3) of the University Act, 1960, was not sought or given was due to inadvertence. I also informed the Deputy of the manner in which, I felt, any problem relating to the persons involved could be solved.
As this whole matter of University appointments is one of the questions being considered by the Commission on Higher Education I am satisfied that it would not be proper for me to make any further statement in relation to it.