Mr. Tim Conlon:

I am happy to attend this meeting. I hope I might be able to assist the committee in its discussion of the general scheme.

As the State agency with statutory responsibility at central government level for the effective governance and regulation of higher education institutions, the HEA promotes the strategic development of the Irish higher education and research system, with the objective of creating a coherent system of diverse institutions with distinct missions that is responsive to the social, cultural and economic development of Ireland and its people. In addition, the HEA supports the achievement of national objectives. The HEA, therefore, welcomes the general scheme of the Bill and looks forward to working with the new agency when it is established.

A key aspect of this work will be future planning for the sector. As specified in the Higher Education Authority Act 2022, one of the functions of the HEA is to “plan for research in the higher education system and make recommendations to the Minister on the overall higher education [and] research system”. The proposed Bill, alongside other recent legislative and policy changes and the ongoing progress of the higher education and research system, may provide us with a once-in-a-generation opportunity for the higher education and research system to be flexible, balanced and capable of meeting national needs now and into the future.

The emergence of new technological universities, for example, the Higher Education Authority Act 2022, the publication of Impact 2030: Ireland’s Research and Innovation Strategy, and the general scheme of the Bill now all provide the legislative instruments fundamental to a system that can meet challenges being experienced in higher education and research.

These instruments are reinforced by the HEA’s system performance framework, the annual governance statements submitted by institutions, and the HEA’s published Principles for Good Practice in Research in Irish Higher Education Institutions. Actions being undertaken in the European research area also provide guidance on how best to formulate our system. It is important that Ireland continues to contribute to, but also expand, its international role and positioning.

A primary positive outcome of planning and monitoring for balance in our higher education and research system will be a reinforcement of the continuum of learning between education and research. A balanced system is one where research informs the education delivered to and experienced by our learners. Our graduates should have been exposed to the very best of national and international practice and principles in research, to new cutting-edge knowledge, technology, emerging techniques and their application. Such an outcome can only be achieved through coherent future planning, monitoring and oversight such as provided by the HEA through its relationship with institutions.

Establishing the new agency presents an opportunity to reinforce the quality of the research environment and culture in higher education. This will also be achieved through the legislative architecture already established under the Higher Education Act 2022. A consistently excellent research environment and culture supported by the appropriate infrastructure is necessary to the success of the new agency, and we look forward to collaborating with the new agency in that regard. Such coherence and clarity of shared mission will ultimately benefit Ireland’s reputation in higher education, research and innovation on a global scale and will produce graduates who perpetuate the impact of investment long after they have qualified.

The scaffolding necessary for education and research to flourish across all disciplines and across interdisciplinary, multidisciplinary and transdisciplinary approaches includes the provision of training and research support that meets standards established by international best practice. The appropriate resourcing of infrastructure and promotion of the best research culture, by the HEA and others, will enable an environment where the upholding of research integrity and best standards is a fundamental principle of how the system operates. This will help to enhance the capacity of the new agency to perform, and for Ireland to excel in the development and application of new knowledge.

This new competitive funding agency will be key to promoting a balanced higher education and research system if it is enabled to deliver adequate competitive funding, unrestricted by prioritisation across both fundamental bottom-up research and applied research. This will be beneficial in balancing breakthroughs in knowledge while also finding solutions for existing challenges. A balanced higher education and research system is of great importance to Ireland in maintaining its competitiveness and an agile and responsive research environment.

When looking at the proposed structure of the board for the new agency and given the HEA’s larger system oversight role, it would be useful for the committee to consider a nomination from the HEA towards the process for board membership. It is also our view that the formation of the new board should be constituted by a balance of competencies, including the proposed industry perspective. It would also benefit from the inclusion of active researchers as they would bring a good understanding of what supports the system needs and international developments relating to research, and they would have beneficial specialised knowledge to bring to bear.

I hope I have outlined how the ongoing engagement between the HEA and the new agency will be key to planning for an ever more successful research system that continues to meet national needs. I thank the committee for the opportunity to engage with it.