Mairead Farrell (Galway West, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I move amendment No. 4:

In page 9, line 9, after "social," to insert "political, historical, legal,".

We received the groupings very late so it is a bit difficult. Amendment No. 4 proposes inserting "political, historical, legal," after "social," in line 9 on page 9. It expands the list of identified areas for research and innovation to include political, historical and legal. We believe these could be very important areas of research, especially in the context of a united Ireland, for example with regard to constitutional change and potential changes to the organs of the State, interaction with EU law and the need for historically informed research. We can look to Germany and Cyprus after reunification.

Amendment No. 5 proposes to insert "community," after "enterprise,". A key focus of the legislation is to strengthen the position of taighde Éireann to make a contribution nationally to fostering new research and innovation partnerships and collaborations. It specifies collaboration between enterprise, Government and the wider research and innovation sector. It would be further strengthened if the word "community" was included in it.

Amendment No. 6 proposes a little piece which the Minister can see. Although the Bill mentions equality in terms of research approach we believe the failure to mention parity of esteem is a continuing shortcoming. We also feel the failure to specify the importance, and mutually reinforce the role, of fundamental and applied research must be addressed.

These amendments leave no ambiguity. When raising the former we stress the principle of parity of esteem so there can be no confusion that we require a one-to-one approach of funding disbursement between STEM and arts, humanities and social science, AHSS. Impact 2030 references parity of esteem. This is the context in which we are using it. We stress that these two approaches to research are two wings of the same bird and one supports the other. The amendments are with regard to explicit recognition of such and propose that it should be present in the objects of the agency.