Outraged Higgins delivers warning on dangers of Ministers flying kites

DÁIL SKETCH:FEW CAN express outrage with the same oratorical skill and bile as Michael D Higgins.

And so it was in the Dáil yesterday when he expressed shock that Minister for Education Batt O’Keeffe had ignored the House and announced elsewhere, his intention to abolish the National University of Ireland (NUI).

Since Ministers routinely ignore the Dáil and Seanad for both big and very minor announcements, perhaps the greater surprise was that Michael D was shocked at all. But the former NUI senator was outraged that the Minister had “turned his back entirely” on the Dáil and had “damaged the NUI degree brand internationally”.

And his later remarks could only lead to speculation that academic politics can be as scathing as the carry-on in Leinster House. For the Labour president and former NUI Galway academic noted: “Some university presidents feel they should be CEOs” and “one of them might have the ear of the Minister more than the graduates of the NUI.”

The former minister wanted to know when the legislation would be introduced. “It’s one thing to be producing thousands of unemployed graduates. It’s another for the Minister to announce he proposes to devalue their degrees”. But when Tánaiste Mary Coughlan said the NUI legislation would be introduced in parallel with the Bill on Seanad reform, Labour education spokesman Ruairí Quinn provoked laughter on all sides with his quip: “So it’ll never happen.”

But Michael D wasn’t finished. He said the Dáil programme included Bills such as support and welfare for students. “Wouldn’t he be better off getting on with those rather than flying kites? . . . These kites are already damaging us internationally. It’s an ignorant action, taken by stealth and without the courage to discuss it with the universities or in this House,” he stormed. He called on the Minister to make the case to the Dáil “for his windy proposal”.

A bit like Robocop, Higgins was back again later when party colleague Kathleen Lynch said she was having difficulty hearing the Tánaiste’s replies. “We have no idea of the last answer,” she said at one point. Higgins suggested it was a microphone problem but got annoyed when Coughlan took the view was that the Opposition couldn’t hear because “they are talking”. “Now, now now, stop that aul nonsense,” he complained. “The Tánaiste should learn to pitch,” he suggested.

Leas-Cheann Comhairle Brendan Howlin quite reasonably pointed out that members “cannot complain about not hearing if they do not listen”.

Michael D looked slightly sheepish at that. Coughlan then repeated her reply – without interruption. Michael D grinned: “That was perfect.”Dick Roche had some advice for him. “The trick is to have one’s mouth closed and one’s ears open.” That could be said for more than a few.