Professor Mark Ferguson:

On North-South collaboration, I share the Senator's concern at the lack of special schemes between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. We have been busy trying to put those in place not only with the Northern Ireland Civil Service but also directly with Westminster. It is possible, through UK Research and Innovation or the programmes which the UK may initiate post Brexit, that the funding for a Northern Ireland piece, particularly through its cities or regional deals, could flow centrally from Westminster as well as, or instead of, flowing through a Stormont assembly. Those discussions are progressing. They are also progressing in Ireland. There is uniform agreement. Colleagues in the UK agree that it is a good thing to do. There was a meeting of the nine university presidents across Ireland, the two universities in the North and all the universities in Ireland, and everyone agreed that it just needs to happen. We are working on it. We are working on the assumption that it could be a restoration of the Executive, which would be excellent, but we also need a plan B. Those two also could be compatible.

I apologise that I may not have explained the contingency funds properly. In yesterday's budget, the contingency funds voted to deal with the emergency Brexit issues do not include research and innovation and they should. It is not about cannibalising any of the other issues; it is about just making sure that it is there. I do have a sense of perspective; I know that there are really urgent issues which must be dealt with-----