Michael D Higgins (Galway West, Labour)

When the interim review for these projects, which is due shortly, is completed, will the Minister of State publish details of the receiving institutions and the project leaders? In fairness, I do not mind if the follow-up communications to my questions come to me after today. Has the special unit on governance been established in the Department?

Higher education institutions differ in their research approaches to issues such as land tenure. An institution may adopt a classic neoliberal economic model which is based on the premise of land titles which become collateral for loans which in turn allow land ownership to be restructured. A second model, however, may be based on a social anthropological model which would examine the necessity for land in tribal villages, how migrants are affected and so forth. Is the Minister of State willing to instruct the HEA to ensure all models are considered so as not to have narrow research focus?

I am concerned about the proposed Trinity College Dublin-University College Dublin collaborative research proposals which include research on aid projects as one of their strengths of excellence. It is an excellence that has yet to be demonstrated.

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