The move has been strongly criticised by NUI Chancellor Dr Maurice Manning, by constituent universities, by students, and by opposition spokesperson Brian Hayes TD.

Announcing the dissolution, which was recommended in the McCarthy Report, Minister O’Keeffe acknowledged the important role the NUI has played in Irish education, but he said that role is now over.

"... The central role of the NUI was significantly reduced in the Universities Act, 1997, and the need to have a separate body undertaking what is now a limited set of functions has been outlived," the Minister said.

"The NUI’s four constituent universities - University College Dublin, University College Cork, NUI Galway and NUI Maynooth - have the same statutory status as the State’s three other universities but a small number of administrative and academic functions are still carried out on their behalf by the NUI.

"Work will now be carried out on redistributing the remaining functions of the NUI and it is envisaged that many of them will be undertaken by the constituent universities."

Referring to a Bill that is now being drafted to establish a new qualifications and quality assurance agency for the further and higher education sectors, Minister O’Keeffe said:

"I am simplifying the qualifications and quality assurance landscape by amalgamating existing agencies in that area.

"That pursuit of institutional coherence has led me to conclude that the NUI’s role in higher education is no longer sustainable.

"This is consistent with the Government’s public sector reform agenda,’ said Minister O’Keeffe.

A strong lobby to save the institution had been mounted in recent times by NUI, led by current chancellor Dr Maurice Manning.  In a briefing document designed to support this lobby the NUI said last month:

“It has taken over 100 years of distinguished and highly credible service to build up this unique national brand for Ireland; to dismantle it would be a disaster for Irish education and for the country as a whole. It would dismantle a national institution which has a proud record of support for the language, culture and tradition of Ireland.”

Dr Jim Browne, President of NUI Galway, acknowledged that the move was “not unexpected” as it had been outlined in both the McCarthy Report and the 2008 Budget, but he said the action would have no obvious benefits in terms of savings to the State.

“The signal it sends out about co-operation between universities isn’t a good one,” Dr Browne said.

“We are not clear as to why this is being done. There is no saving of money involved. It is a very small organisation.”

The decision to abolish the NUI was, however, solidly supported by senior Department of Education officials anxious to establish a united qualifications and quality assurance agency for higher education.

But NUI supporters pointed out that the organisation could have run in parallel with the new awards body.  In a statement the NUI said:

“Had they been consulted, the Chancellor and Presidents would have emphasised that the abolition of the NUI is not necessary for the achievement of the quality assurance objectives that the Minister is pursuing or for the establishment of an amalgamated qualifications and quality assurance agency.”

The announcement has also caused uncertainty among students. The NUI said that “coming as abruptly as it did, [the announcement] has caused understandable anxiety among students and graduates”. Students who have applied for courses at NUI constituent colleges have been contacting the body seeking reassurance about the quality of their degrees.

Fine Gael Education spokesman Brian Hayes said the Minister’s decision was taken without consultation with the universities or graduates, it pre-empts the Government’s own strategy, and is not based on any firm calculations.

“The decision of Minister O’Keeffe to unilaterally abolish the National University of Ireland has been taken without consultation with the universities concerned and is totally pre-emptive of the Government’s own strategy on higher education which Colin Hunt has been asked to identify.

“The abolition of the National University of Ireland was proposed in the McCarthy Report. That Report suggested that €3 million could be saved. The truth of the matter is that the NUI does not receive €3 million from the taxpayer... 

“Taking piecemeal decisions like this, based on ‘back of the envelope’ presumptions, before the expert group has been allowed to publish its views on higher education, highlights the incoherent decision-making which is now going on in Marlborough Street.”

Efforts by NUI to reverse the decision continue.  (Sources: Irish Times; IOL)