Cavan-Monaghan Sinn Féin TD, Pauline Tully, has criticised the Minister for Higher Education, Innovation and Science, Simon Harris TD, for repeatedly ignoring the protocol of notifying all Oireachtas members when visiting their constituency.
Teachta Tully said:
“It is very disappointing that the Minister for Higher Education, Innovation and Science, Simon Harris TD, has felt that he can completely ignore protocol when visiting the constituency.
“Minister Harris has over the past few months held engagements in Cavan-Monaghan without notifying all the Oireachtas members in advance.
“While Minister Harris is supposed to notify all Oireachtas members, he has, on two occasions now, only notified his government partners.
“A customary protocol of notifying all Oireachtas member when visiting their constituency has been in place for many years.
“I would have liked to have had the opportunity to raise a number of issues and get further detail from the Minister in relation a number of areas to do with Cavan Institute, such as:
- Safety measures regarding Covid for being put in place for returning staff and students.
- The capital works application for the former Army Barracks site in Cavan.
- North-South co-operation measures in the area of further and higher education.
“Unfortunately, Minister Harris’s ignoring of this protocol prevented me from addressing these and other issues with him in person.
“I have written to the Minister to request that he show curtesy to all the Oireachtas members in future when next visiting the constituency.”
