Dr. Mary Murphy:

We will certainly think about it. I suppose the trade-off is whether this might detract from our capacity to play enabling roles, to win the trust of Departments and to have the conversations we will need to have if they are to take risks and try out certain mechanisms. While there are trade-offs in this regard, my sense is that it is not a case of one or the other. If the IHREC is to have some quality control role, it will be working with others as part of something like the EBAG process I have mentioned. Some process like the IFAC process would be needed to facilitate the coming together of assessments. While this process would not involve the IHREC alone, I certainly envisage that we would be an actor in it.

The Deputy asked many questions. He spoke about training, which is worth mentioning. I would see the provision of expert training, including media training, to which I referred, as part of the role of the IHREC. For example, we already have an institutional relationship with the Institute of Public Administration. We run certificate programmes in human rights and equality. It would be very feasible to see us running specialised diploma-level programmes in proofing. That would be a way of signalling that people need to avail of such training if they are to get on in the service.