James Lawless (Kildare North, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister of State for the reply and the invitation to attend the briefing with Science Foundation Ireland, which was a very useful session. I do not want to talk about the individual, because we have learned about doing that on different topics in the House over recent days. I want to talk about the formulation of the offices and the relationship between them. It was a progressive move in 2004 to create the office of chief scientific adviser. There were many arguments in favour of that policy. I attended recently the science march with a number of academics, policymakers and others with an interest in the area who came together to make the point that a more evidence-based policy was needed with a whole-of-Government approach and to call for investment in research, development and science. The Minister of State and I have often talked about that and I know he understands the need for it.

It was regressive to abolish the position in 2012. In the same way, we have an Attorney General, who is separate from the Chief Justice, an Office of the Parliamentary Legal Adviser, and a budget office that is being created, which have different functions in terms of advice to the Government and are separate to the multiple agencies that stem from Government. At the time the office was abolished, it was understood that it was for financial considerations. One would hope that, as financial fortunes are, hopefully, beginning to be restored, there may be scope to revisit it. There was some criticism at the time of the abolition that it was seen as a shortsighted move and one that potentially created a conflict of interest in terms of the agency and the advisory roles. It is important enough to be reconstituted into its own office now that budget conditions, hopefully, allow that to be a possibility again.

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