Inviting government ministers
Trinity is a very large institution with significant research, teaching and outreach activities. It is to be expected that from time-to-time the Provost, Schools, Disciplines, support areas and Trinity Foundation seek opportunities to invite Government Ministers to lend their support to the universities activities by inviting them to launch or attend events in Trinity.
Trinity has always been very successful in securing Ministers attendance by working in an open and cooperative way with Ministers' Offices with invitations to Ministers being issued by the Secretary's Office. A trend has developed whereby individual Schools, Centres and other groups have independently invited Government Ministers to the university. This has resulted in the same Minister being invited to the university a number of times within a short period without any reference to previous visits.
This approach has a number of implications.
It cuts across Trinity's Communications Plan the aim of which is to maximise, for the particular events and for Trinity as a whole, the impact of Ministers' visits.
Ministers' Offices are less likely to accommodate Trinity's requests for Ministerial attendance if there is another visit in close proximity to the date in question or indeed if another Minister is involved in another event on campus at the same time.
A loss of credibility in Ministers' offices as a result of apparent duplication and lack of coordination is in the long term detrimental to the university.
Trinity's Public Affairs and Communications Office is advised very late in the planning of events and has insufficient time to make all the necessary arrangements for a Ministerial visit.
Whilst individual areas are encouraged in publicising their activities and in securing support for them at the highest political level there is a need to coordinate visits to the university by Government Ministers for the overall long-term good of Trinity. In order to address the above concerns the following procedures are proposed.
Trinity events
All invitations to Government Ministers, Ministers of State and Secretary-Generals of Government Departments for events being organised by academic or administrative and support areas in Trinity will be issued by the Secretary to the university. Areas wishing to issue such invitations should send briefing material and a broad time-scale to the Public Affairs and Communications Office who will liaise with the Secretary to the university in issuing the invitation.If you wish to extend an invitation to the President of Ireland for a Trinity event please contact the Provost's Office.