Written answers
Wednesday, 15 June 2011
Department of An Taoiseach
Departmental Bodies
10:00 pm
Tommy Broughan (Dublin North East, Labour)
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Question 70: To ask the Taoiseach if he will conduct a peer review examination of the work of the Economic and Social Research Institute; his views on whether a new higher academic institute might be created from the economics department of the Irish universities and based in those institutions; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15746/11]
Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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The ESRI is a private limited company with charitable status – it is not publicly owned. It is an independent body which operates in a commercial environment. Therefore I have no policy or administrative responsibility for the ESRI.
Whilst the Department of Finance provides the ESRI with Grant-in-Aid to cover the public interest aspects of their output, I understand that it is not the Minister for Finance's practice to comment on the quality of the ESRI's output.
The Department of Finance has however informed me that in line with the Institute's Research Strategy 2008-2013, a panel of international and Irish experts undertook a peer review of ESRI research last year, the report of which can be found on the Institute's website at http://www.esri.ie/about_us/peer_review_2010/.
On a separate matter, in relation to independent assessment of the Government's approach in fiscal matters, the Deputy will be aware of the intention to establish a Fiscal Advisory Council to provide such assessment, in relation to which announcements will be made shortly. This is a matter for the Minister for Finance and future questions on this matter should be directed to Minister Noonan.
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