Dr. Deirdre Lillis:

The short answer is that we are committed to it. This agency has to hold its own internationally, and not just hold its own but become the go-to agency. We have that opportunity. We are a very strong country for innovation. We score really well on the global indexes. We should have that ambition but we will only get there if we bring the best in the world to us to evaluate what we do. That commitment is there. It is probably set against a programme of reform in general in Europe about how research is assessed and evaluated and we are mindful of that. Peer review is not without its problems. Whether it has a strong record on equity, diversity and inclusion, EDI, is questionable in places. We are very mindful of that reform agenda and of the need not to use words that nail our colours to the mast and might look outdated in ten years' time.

The Department is absolutely committed to using the best international means of evaluating our research so that we can absolutely ensure that this agency will be one of the best in the world at what it does.