Alice-Mary Higgins (Independent) | Oireachtas source

The key point is where this is sitting alongside. This is not in a listing of higher education institutions. This is a listing of bodies with which the higher education system may be co-operating. That is the section that I am looking to amend. For example, the Qualifications and Quality Assurance Authority of Ireland and Science Foundation Ireland are being named. I was concerned that they were named while other bodies were not. With respect, the examples that I gave, of Teagasc or the Health Research Board, are not within a higher education institution. Research within higher education institutions is covered, but this is about bodies with which there will be co-operation. I believe this is inadvertent. From the Minister's response to my previous amendments, he seems to expect that groups such as the Health Research Board, the Irish Research Council and Teagasc would be part of co-operation agreements. However, the Bill as laid out does not really make clear where they would fit in.

This amendment is about facilitating these bodies which co-operate with higher education bodies. It is not about higher education institutions and the research that happens within them, although there are many interesting discussions to have on that question. That is a matter which we can bracket. There are maybe crossed wires with regard to the interpretation of the section. I think it may be an oversight. I will press it, though I understand it may be difficult for the Minister of State to take it. I hope we will be able to return to this issue when the research Bill comes through.