Seanad debates

Wednesday, 6 July 2022

Higher Education Authority Bill 2022: Committee Stage (Resumed)

 

10:00 am

Photo of Simon HarrisSimon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I want to come back on the issue of academic autonomy and on the comments I have heard from Senators here. Autonomy is protected, but autonomy cannot be used as a fig leaf or a catch-all word to cover other issues that are of legitimate importance, such as in relation to governance, accountability and in relation to an education system that advances the delivery of public policy.

I attended a very good debate in this House, led by Senator Ruane, on the issue of non-disclosure agreements, NDAs. During that debate, I specifically referenced this legislation and the ability of the HEA to set guidelines, codes and practices on a number of areas, including, in the context of that debate, the issue of NDAs.

We have had reports from the Committee on Public Accounts, such as the report from 2017, which calls for legislation just like this. There some Senators, including my good friend Senator Craughwell, would rightly be jumping up and down about many issues if he felt there were concerns about the expenditure of public money and he did not feel the response was robust enough. He would probably be trying to hold people like me to account for this. You can only hold people like me to account and the HEA and others if there are enough levers, clarity and structures in place in terms of accountability.

My job is not just to write the cheque on behalf of the taxpayer. That would be a very simple job. My job is not just to say, “Here is the cheque; here is the money; go off and spend it how you wish”. This is €2 billion of taxpayers’ money. When we are consulting all these stakeholders, whom I know very well, respect them and consult them regularly, there is another very important stakeholder here and that is the citizen, the person, the taxpayer. Their voice is not being heard enough in this debate. This debate is hearing the voices of representative groups, which is perfectly fine and legitimate. I meet them too and I have no issue with that, but there is also the citizen. I believe it is right and proper we put a HEA in place that has a competency-based board and that can set codes, guidelines and policies. I do think there is a link between public funding and public policy. That is not a revolutionary concept.

Senator Norris can keep on making that point about experience in higher education and the Minister. The man who is sitting beside Senator Norris was the Minister for Justice. He never wore a Garda uniform and he was a perfectly fine Minister for Justice. This idea-----

Comments

No comments

Log in or join to post a public comment.