Vol. 444 No. 5
145 Mr. Dukes asked the Minister for Education the number of requests for a visitation that have been made by members of the National University of Ireland since 1968; the subjects of those requests; the colleges which were involved; the date of the last request; and the requests, if any, which were granted.
The Charter of the National University of Ireland as amended by a Statute of January 1951 provides that the Government may appoint a board of visitors to the college from time to time as it sees fit. The appointment of a board of visitors is only obligatory where the removal from office of a president, a professor or a lecturer is involved.
In 1969 a petition to appoint a board of visitors to University College Dublin was received regarding the termination of employment of two members of the staff of the college. The petition was refused on the basis that it did not involve removal from office. A further petition regarding University College Galway was received in May 1993 and is currently under consideration. No requests, therefore, have been granted since 1968.
