Research and Innovation Act 2024
|
Annual plan of Agency | ||
|
24. (1) The Agency shall prepare and submit to the Minister, not later than 28 days following notification of the amount to be advanced to the Agency by the Minister under section 22 for the next financial year, an annual plan (in this section referred to as an “annual plan”) relating to the performance of its functions. | ||
(2) An annual plan shall— | ||
(a) outline the proposed activities for the Agency for the period to which the annual plan relates and the performance targets relating to those activities, | ||
(b) specify the proposed allocation of the total resources (both financial and persons) of the Agency for the period to which the annual plan relates, | ||
(c) specify the monitoring arrangements of the performance targets, | ||
(d) specify the reporting arrangements to the Minister, | ||
(e) specify how the Agency shall have regard to its objects under section 8 , | ||
(f) contain any other information specified by the Minister, and | ||
(g) accord with the guidelines, policies and objectives of the Minister and the Government as they relate to the functions of the Agency. | ||
(3) In preparing the annual plan, the Agency shall have regard to the corporate plan of the Agency under section 23 and any direction given or guidelines issued by the Minister under subsection (5). | ||
(4) The Agency shall, in preparing the annual plan, consult with An tÚdarás. | ||
(5) The Minister may, from time to time, give directions or issue guidelines to the Agency concerning the preparation of the annual plan. | ||
(6) When giving a direction to the Agency under subsection (5), the Minister shall give his or her reasons in writing for the direction. | ||
(7) The Agency shall comply with a direction under subsection (5) within the period, if any, specified in the direction. | ||
(8) The Agency shall implement the annual plan prepared in accordance with subsection (2) unless the Minister, within 30 days of the submission to him or her of the annual plan, directs the Agency in writing to amend the annual plan if, in the opinion of the Minister, the annual plan— | ||
(a) does not contain the information required under subsection (2), | ||
(b) does not comply in some other respect with subsection (2), or | ||
(c) has been prepared without sufficient regard to the matters specified in subsection (3). | ||
(9) The Agency may amend an annual plan in accordance with a direction under subsection (5) and, where it does so, subsections (2) to (8) shall apply, with any necessary modifications, to the preparation of the amended annual plan as they apply to the preparation of an annual plan. | ||
(10) The Agency shall— | ||
(a) inform the Minister of the measures taken with regard to the activities and the performance targets outlined in the annual plan and of the outcome of those measures, and | ||
(b) provide that information at intervals specified by the Minister or, if no such intervals are specified, in the annual report under section 26 . |