Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

We can certainly agree that retaining and recruiting the best talent into our country is key. It is key to our future economic and social well-being. That is why in Impact 2030, Ireland's national research and innovation strategy, we quite rightly place a real focus on the researchers themselves. This review stems from that and from listening directly to researchers and postgraduate students. As recently as yesterday, I met with PhD researchers and postgraduate students with disabilities, who are working across our university sector, and heard directly from them. We are engaging but we need to get to a point where we have a very clear set of recommendations. I accept the issue around the stipend. Consistency of approach to the stipend is important, perhaps with a national minimum stipend level. We also need to look at other issues because I hear directly from them about other issues, including people who come into the country and find their spouse cannot work. There is a variety of issues here. We have tried to capture a broad gambit of issues in the terms of reference. This review will report back to my Department early next year.

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