Minister for Education opens the new National Institute for Higher Education campus at Glasnevin in Dublin.
The new campus is situated at the former Faculty of Agriculture of University College Dublin (UCD) at Glasnevin, and was formally opened today by Minister for Education Martin O'Donoghue.
There was also an ecumenical blessing from the Most Reverend Henry McAdoo, Archbishop of Dublin, Bishop Brendan Comiskey, Auxiliary Bishop of Dublin, as well as faith leaders from the Methodist and Presbyterian churches, and the Jewish community in Ireland.
A group of students staged a protest to highlight the twenty five per cent rise in fees for the next academic year, and what they believe are inadequate facilities on the campus.
The achievements of students were highlighted in the opening ceremony. Chairman of NIHE Professor Michael McCormac presented Lieutenant David Doogan with the chairman's gold medal prize as the outstanding student of the academic year.
Lieutenant Doogan who left school at the age of twelve enlisted in the Defence Forces when he was sixteen and worked his way up the ranks. He has completed a three year degree course in accounting and finance at NIHE.
All courses offered by NIHE are in line with international academic standards, explains Industrial Liaison Officer Dr Tony Glynn. The presence of students from the Defence Forces is an example of NIHE’s commitment to mature students and is in line with a philosophy, which is
To help those…who have the aptitude and ability to pursue third level education.
An RTÉ News report broadcast on 1 June 1982. This report has natural sound only.
