David Cullinane (Waterford, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I know that we are dealing with the deficits only now, however at the last meeting I did ask that Dr. Graham Love and the Department would be here to discuss Dr. Love's departure. There are reports, although they are only in the media, that raise question marks over the relationship between the Higher Education Authority, HEA, and the Department which form part of questions that we have put in the past around who is responsible for what, whether or not the HEA is getting the support from the Department that it needs to drive the reforms that we have been looking for and that we have been pushing the HEA to get. I do not expect Dr. Love to say it in those terms, that would be unfair on him, but it would be responsible for us to follow that logic.

We have called the HEA in several times and have put it under pressure in relation to the need for reform in several areas and the kinds of governance structures that are in place. What is the relationship between the institutes, the HEA and the Department? Dr. Love is telling us that he is trying to drive reforms. If it is the case that the HEA is being met with resistance from the Department, then surely that is a problem that should be examined.