UNIVERSITY senators have responded favourably to new amendments from the Minister for Education to the Universities Bill.
Mr Shane Ross, whose constituency is Trinity College, Dublin, said he was reserving judgment on the amendments but regarded them as "an advance". He was glad to see Ms Breathnach making "major concessions".
Mr Maurice Manning, of the NUI, said the Bill that would eventually emerge was "a good Bill". The Minister had "moved most of the way, if not all the way, towards meeting the objections in principle that were made".
Mr Joe O'Toole, also of the NUI, said that while he believed there should be accountability in the Bill, he welcomed Ms Breathnach's decision to include an explicit statement of the principles of academic freedom in her amendments.
Mr David Norris, also of Trinity College, Dublin, said the prominence being given to academic freedom was "very much to be welcomed".
The Union of Students in Ireland and the students' union in University College, Dublin welcomed the amendments, in particular the increased level of statutory student representation on governing bodies which has been raised from three to a maximum of four.
