Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I believe that the aim of what the Deputy wants to achieve is already captured by the legislation. The chief executive is already accountable. This agency will be under the remit of the Freedom of Information Act, parliamentary questions, and the Minister of the day being accountable to the House. That is already the case. I also believe that the current provisions adequately capture this. I again make the point, because it is important, that the whole reason we are doing this and establishing this agency, is to try to have one research funding agency in Ireland and not have a sense that humanities are over here and science and enterprise over there. There are genuinely very exciting opportunities for arts and humanities researchers in accessing funding streams that perhaps have not been available in the past.

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