Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance) | Oireachtas source

First of all, in terms of not having a representative board, I would like to point out that the European Research Council has a different approach. Researchers and scientists from all disciplines are in the driving seat. The people whom the Minister described as having competency are told what to do by the researchers and scientists. That is the way it should be, in my opinion. I disagree with the Minister on that. A research council should be driven by people who work in research and who have expertise in the different disciplines of arts, science or whatever it might all be about in the first place. I respectfully disagree with the Minister on that. They should be a majority, as our amendments are proposing, and they should be consulted on developing plans and so on. I will, in the very short time I have, quote one of the amendments I put forward. Amendment No. 10 proposes to "support the development and maintenance of high standards of working conditions across the research sector in Ireland in cooperation with relevant bodies, including trade unions and other representative organisations”. I do not see why that is not appropriate in this Bill. That is hardwiring into the approach of the agency that it is there to promote good working conditions and standards of employment for people, which is in line with what the European Commission and all the universities associations that were involved in producing the Salzburg principles recommended. Therefore, why is it not appropriate? To my mind, it is absolutely appropriate. In fact, it is imperative that a research council is there to promote, support and protect the interests of the researchers who actually do the research.

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