Mr. Jim Miley:

I think it does not. We have referenced this in our opening statement. In the more detailed submission we provided to the committee, we outlined six different specific points about bolstering research. It is encouraging to see the announcement yesterday by the Taoiseach on the €40 million under the shared island fund. The HEA is leading out on that and it is an important signal as to the role of the HEA on research. As they are currently framed, the heads are very light on the detail on research. We would like to see a much clearer and more defined role for the HEA both for funding research, which it already does through the Irish Research Council, and to have this upweighted, and with regard to the policy setting agenda particularly around research integrity and ethics, which is an area in which the HEA should have specific responsibility.