Seán Sherlock (Cork East, Labour) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Leas-Cheann Comhairle. On amendment No. 6, I have listened carefully to Deputy Boyd Barrett. I am about to do an unusual thing and ask the proposer of the amendment if he is suggesting that preserving and supporting the independence of academic and research institutions is now to be a matter for Taighde Éireann? In law, will that be its remit? If that is the case, what is the role of, for instance, the National University of Ireland, NUI? Does that become subservient in terms of the remit of any academic institution, which I would have thought would be self-evident anyway? It is well established that the preservation and support of the independence of any academic institution or research institution is a matter of form. It is in existence already. Are we seeking to supplant one with the other? Does Science Foundation Ireland, SFI, now supersede, for example, NUI? I may be accused of being slightly pedantic on this but we are legislating. I want to be careful about what is it that we might or might not support by way of amendment.

In relation to amendment No. 7, I am at pains to understand why Enterprise Ireland would be deleted and not-----

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