I move amendment No. 5: In page 13, line 26, to delete "(including knowledge of humankind, culture and society)". I cannot recall the number of times I have been told from the ministerial chair that lists are anathema. They are because they are not exhaustive. They actually confine rather than expand legislation. For that reason, I propose to delete "including knowledge of humankind, culture and society". What is "knowledge of humankind" anyway? It is either such a vast idea or such a daft idea that I am rendered s…

I am relieved to hear that.

I thank the Leas-Chathaoirleach. Amendments Nos. 7 and 8 are remarkably similar. The one difference is very significant. It is that amendment No. 8, which I have come to prefer, refers to the election by students. This is important for democracy so I will move support from my amendment to Senator Higgins's, which I think is a better and more comprehensive amendment.

Hear, hear.

Bong.

We all do.

I have never smoked with a bong in my life. Give me a joint any day.

Trinity College is.

On 8 June 2021, the President of Ireland, Michael D. Higgins, stated: It is not an overstatement, I believe, to make the argument that the ruination of the university tradition, by a process of attrition, surrender to the quiet hegemony of that which is really unaccountable, is at hand. Indeed the very raison d'être of the university, I believe, is at stake. That is a very interesting quotation from the President of Ireland. There has been an enormous increase in the number of students, something I have noticed mys…

Alas. What a pity. May I point out to the previous delightful speaker that Trinity is the highest ranked university on this island? We were proud that at one point it was ranked 50th or thereabouts globally. Given that there are universities like Oxford, Cambridge, Dartmouth, Yale and Harvard, that was a wonderful position for a small island like this to be in. In terms of diversity, this situation looks to be an exact parallel with the great fight by the great dean of St. Patrick's Cathedral, Jonathan Swift, to ma…

Very good. Well done. There is some confusion in this provision and it should be cleared up. Despite the Minister's undoubted intelligence - he is probably the most intelligent person in government-----

There is a blush.

All of that said, I am not sure how much experience the Minister has in higher education apart from being a student. Perhaps he has that experience. The joint committee wrote: It is widely recognised that legislative reform will be of limited value unless it is accompanied by a sustainable funding model. The HEA, as part of its core remit, must retain a key role of advising the Minister on the level of public funding required to enable HEIs to fulfil their responsibilities under the legislation and their performanc…

I move: "That the Bill be now read a Second Time."

I thank the Cathaoirleach very much. I am very honoured by the unveiling of the portrait, which was great fun and very moving for me. As the Cathaoirleach mentioned, this is Bloomsday. It is inevitable I should mention Bloomsday on a day like this. James Joyce said that if Dublin were destroyed, it could be rebuilt from the pages of Ulysses. He was not right. What we would get is a very accurate street map but with almost no description of architectural frontage whatever so that part of it is not accurate. I thank …

Hear, hear.

Hear, hear.

Hear, hear.

I thank the Cathaoirleach. I have learned to expect special treatment from him and he is very kind indeed in facilitating me. I am absolutely delighted to welcome my good friend. I understand we share a distant connection to Leinster House through the late and lamentable General Sir John Maxwell. Tom has had a very distinguished career as a military analyst, and that is something that we could do with in this House, in particular at the moment with the problematic situation in Ukraine. Tom has a distinguished recor…

I do not give a damn. When one gets to my age, it does not matter any more.