Senator Bacik calls for debates on Cycling, and on the University Sector

Order of Business

Senator Ivana Bacik: I ask the Leader for a debate on cycling. I join with a previous speaker who commended the dublinbikes scheme which has been a resounding success. However, it is rather extraordinary to hear Fianna Fáil members attempting to claim credit for it, given that it was the initiative of Labour Party councillors, particularly Councillor Andrew Montague on Dublin City Council— who brought about this scheme. It would be ridiculous for the Green Party to seek to claim credit for it, given it has no councillors on Dublin City Council. We should commend the dublinbikes scheme and I hope we see it extended and I congratulate Dublin City Council. It is notable that Senator Alex White and myself are the two Senators, to my knowledge, who cycle to Leinster House every day and we do not use dublinbikes but rather we use our own bicycles— but I am sure others do too. My apologies to Senator O'Malley.

I also ask for a debate on the university sector. In the past week some issues of great concern which deserve more thorough and comprehensive debate in this House have been raised. I refer in particular to the announcement of the abolition of the National University of Ireland, NUI. This is a rather extraordinary announcement and we need to hear more about the rationale behind it and the justification for it.

I refer to the comments of Peter Sutherland widely reported last week that there should be fewer universities and that university heads should be paid more. I could not agree with this view and I ask for a debate on it. We are seeing a real undermining of the research activity in universities with the announcement by Science Foundation Ireland that it can no longer fund on-line journal access. This is a vital resource for academic research and teaching. I will be writing to Science Foundation Ireland, the Higher Education Authority and the Minister asking for an answer. Academics in Trinity College and librarians across the universities have raised this issue with all the university Senators because it is such a serious matter. A denial of access to on-line journals will have a crippling impact on the ability to research effectively. I am aware that librarians are in negotiation with publishers about this but we need an answer from the Minister on this issue.