Aisling Dolan (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

We were speaking the last time. My question was really around the competencies required by higher education institutions. They will identify gaps in specific areas. Can Councillor Hoade give two examples of how councillors could meet those gaps? I mean either through training or other areas, for example, areas of medical technology in Galway or innovation. There might be other areas that a university might mention.

I will put the question to Mr. Miley. I will not put a title in front of his name just yet. I am coming at this from my experience as a contract researcher in universities. The Higher Education Authority provides a core grant or block grant to the universities and colleges to ensure they have infrastructure and facilities to provide research. We understand the cost of laboratories. We know that students in arts cover the costs of many students doing science, technology, engineering and mathematics subjects. How can we see that additional funding coming through research?

I have gone through the elements mentioned in the submission. We need to increase the Government funding. I would be in favour of doubling that but, as we can imagine, budgets are tight. How else can we attract this type of funding? How can the Higher Education Authority promote this? What is the role of international students in positioning Irish colleges and universities with the infrastructure and laboratories to compete at world class level for research?

I want to consider the agencies that fund universities, including for the arts area and Science Foundation Ireland for the science and technology areas. There are several partnerships or collaborations, including the US-Ireland research and development partnership programme and the US National Science Foundation and the US National Institutes of Health. There is the Horizon Europe at the moment. What ways can we look to support the research path students take from masters to PhD to post-doctorate level? How do we support people in our research sector in universities? What can the HEA do to help?