Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I appreciate the Deputy's support in this area. I want to do more to support PhD researchers. I think we all do. There are a couple of complexities that we must be honest about. For example, SFI and the IRC have a level of stipend, and there is an equalisation between them now. They did increase in the budget by €500, which is good but they need to go up further. That is okay; we will work through that.

A number of other researchers do their PhD through other funding bodies, some of which are not within the remit of my Department, such as the Health Research Board, HRB, and Teagasc. There are also other researchers who do them directly through the higher education institutions, HEIs, and there are some who may do them through industry or the likes as well. The whole tapestry of how PhDs work in Ireland is quite fascinating and interesting, as we work our way through this report.

The report obviously looks at the issue of stipends and financial supports. That is the most pressing issue in the context of a cost-of-living crisis, but the Deputy is also correct to mention issues such as career pathways and opportunities. No matter how well funded the HEIs are, not everybody who becomes a PhD researcher will get employment in a higher education institution and, therefore, pathways into society and industry are important as well. I am very happy once we publish the report to have an opportunity to discuss it further in this House.

See this speech in context