Billy Kelleher (Cork North Central, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I wish Ms Horan well. Debate on the issue of service on boards is ongoing but I will not ask her to comment on that matter. We certainly need people of quality to put their names forward. Sometimes we play too much politics in this area and place too much emphasis on how people are selected. However, we need individuals of a high quality and calibre, although I accept that such persons could quite easily be doing other work. There is a certain calling to public duty and service in this regard but I am not so naive that I do not know that there are many people who are consistently "on the circuit" at the same time. It is important to acknowledge that people with experience, competence and quality should be encouraged to play their part in serving at various levels in public administration.

I was interested in everything Ms Horan had to say but one issue stood out. She indicated that her five-year vision for the HPRA, as expressed in this plan, is for it "to be a leader in effective and innovative regulation, both nationally and internationally, and a recognised centre of excellence for the quality, efficiency and scientific rigour of our work". She also made reference to the industries in Ireland in the area of life sciences, pharmaceuticals and medical devices. There is no doubt that across the country this is a critical component in terms of employment. In addition, because of the types of companies located here, the industry sends out a strong signal internationally that we have a good, educated workforce and all that flows from that.

Equally, regulation and the regulatory underpinning required in this area is important. What role does Ms Horan see for the HPRA in the years ahead in terms of regulation? Does she see it as having a role in enforcement or does she see a need for it to go beyond that and be a leader in ensuring not only that regulation is adhered to but that it is evolving? I have often found that while our regulatory authorities are very good at enforcement, they seem reluctant to accept that they should evolve, just as life and circumstances in the broader industrial and commercial world evolve. We have seen an example of imbalance in previous times where the banking industry had evolved but the regulatory system had not caught up with it.

The HPRA is concerned with issues of public, human and animal health. In regard to veterinary regulations, what crossover is there between the HPRA and the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine and other agencies involved in this area? Is there duplication or possible duplication of regulation between the various stakeholders and agencies, many of which are statutorily based? Is there potential for streamlining in that regard? I do not expect a detailed response on this but has Ms Horan made any observations in this regard? I often wonder whether the various regulators overlap and would like to hear her comment on that. Again, I wish her the best of luck in her position.