Maria Byrne (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister of State for coming in to discuss this all-important issue. I would like to start by congratulating him on his recent appointment and wish him the very best of luck. The Science Foundation Ireland research centre based at the University of Limerick has been responsible for scientific technological breakthroughs over many years. It has supported pharma since 2008 and pharma is one of the biggest industries in Ireland, with 67% of our exports coming from the pharma industry.

SSPC is all about knowledge and talent and there are a number of graduates of the University of Limerick there. It also works with other universities, like Trinity College, UCC, University of Galway and RCSI, in the context of research and knowledge, which is really important. This industry is heavily reliant on PhD students and it is really important that these centres are funded. They have been responsible for life-changing experiences for people in terms of life-changing medicine. They have supplied people to work with the likes of Lilly, Edwards Lifesciences, Boston Scientific, BD and Cereset. These are a sample of the companies to which its has provided employees, especially its research students. Currently, there are 150 PhD students going through the system and they will all be going to work in industry locally.

In terms of the Lero software centre, which has been there since 2005, there are 3,700 companies in Ireland in the software industry and this is worth €64.6 billion in value. That is huge money. There are 170 PhD students in the Lero software centre at present and there will be 300 more in the next intake. It supplies graduates to places like Analog, Johnson and Johnson, Jaguar, Land Rover and Dairymaster. That is a sample of some of the companies that are heavily reliant on the graduates coming from both Lero and SSPC, which are both based at the University in Limerick. My question is on the future funding being guaranteed for these centres.