Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Deputy for raising the issue. I acknowledge he was one of the people most strongly agitating and advocating for a review into PhD conditions and I am pleased that is under way. The purpose of the review of PhD supports is to contribute to the development of a set of national guidelines for supports for PhD researchers that fosters a consistent standard of experience. That lack of consistency is something about which I hear a lot of frustration from PhD researchers. This is a key commitment in Impact 2030, the national strategy for research and innovation published in May last year. About 11,000 people are undertaking PhD studies in Ireland at any time. In the context of the cost-of-living crisis, there was an urgent need to bring forward the implementation of that commitment in order that PhD supports would be fit for purpose. The review will build on the previous work on reforms in the tertiary education and research system, including the national doctoral framework, student supports and the equality, diversity and inclusion agenda.

Officials in my Department identified a shortlist of persons with the appropriate high-level experience to oversee the review. The experience identified as most appropriate included talent and skills management, research careers, high-level skills development and human resource management, industrial relations and public service management. People were then approached to see whether they would be willing to serve in that role, noting the urgency in establishing the review. Mr. David Cagney, recently retired as assistant secretary and head of Civil Service HR in the then Department of Public Expenditure and Reform, and Dr. Andrea Johnson, vice president of Workhuman and chairperson of Women in Technology and Science, both agreed to serve.

I was very pleased with the calibre of these individuals. I felt that having one person with significant experience in human resources and the Civil Service who understands the system, as well as a strong and powerful female leader in the area of women in technology, science and research, was a good balance, with one person who is used to the system and another who is used to research, and with one person who is male and another who is female, and with both them having qualities in a variety of other areas.

In line with established procedure, my Department obtained sanction from the then Department of Public Expenditure and Reform to pay each co-chair a per diemrate of €200 for up to ten days for their work on the review. There is no salary, therefore, but rather expenses of up to €200 capped at ten days per year. I am delighted that two so highly qualified people as Mr. Cagney and Dr. Johnson agreed to conduct this review urgently and at an extraordinarily modest cost, having regard to the importance of the review.

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