Alice-Mary Higgins (Independent) | Oireachtas source

Yes. Amendment No. 94 addresses section 50 in terms of the arrangements between the agency and Ministers of Government regarding research and innovation. Amendment No. 94 will insert a new subsection which specifies that decisions regarding research and innovation agreements under the section should "not impede the ability of the Agency to uphold its regular [everyday] functions, as prescribed in section 9 [of the Bill]". While agreements of this nature are nonetheless important and worthwhile, it is imperative the agency is not negatively impacted in terms of the fulfilment of its regular functions by entering into such agreements.

Under this section, effectively a Minister of the Government - not necessarily the relevant Minister or line Minister for research and innovation but any Minister of the Government as it states "the Minister" - can request the entering of an agreement or arrangement on a research or innovation scheme, subject to the consent of the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research and Innovation and Science. While there are already sections on partnerships and co-operation the agency may engage in, section 50 is the one that explicitly allows any Minister of the Government to say he or she wants the agency to enter into a new agreement or arrangement. This is an amendment to ensure that should not be at the cost of the general.

If an agency has put in place its own five-year corporate strategy or agenda for research and innovation and then suddenly the Minister for enterprise says he or she wants it to administer a new scheme or enter into a new agreement or arrangement, there cannot be a situation in which that can just throw off all the planning and strategic work and the holistic picture of what the agency might be doing. At the moment, under this Bill, not only can a Minister of the Government require that an agreement be entered into, but the agency can be required to report directly back to that Minister. There are going to be schemes, opportunities and initiatives which may be beneficial; I understand that. However, we do not want a situation in which individual Ministers' agendas take priority over or in any way skew the wider research and innovation agenda and strategy set out by the agency.

This is simply an amendment. I am not trying to remove that power of request by a Minister, but I am trying to ensure it does not railroad or come at the cost of the other work of the agency.