Jack Chambers (Dublin West, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank Senator Byrne for raising this important matter. I am taking this Commencement matter on behalf of the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science, Deputy O'Donovan, a county colleague of Senator Byrne.

The establishment of Science Foundation Ireland's, SFI's, research centres programme in 2012 has had a transformative economic and societal impact on Ireland and its research ecosystem. The centres programme has delivered world-leading research and innovation as well as advanced knowledge. It has created and retained employment and supported regional development and developed a pipeline of talented researchers with critical skills. The development of the centre network was set out in a national development plan in alliance with the Government's Impact 2030 research and innovation strategy.

The SFI research centre network represents over €745 million of State investment and includes two Limerick-based centres, Lero, the SFI research centre for software, and the SSPC, SFI research centre for pharmaceuticals. Both centres support the delivery excellent research talent and a significant economic societal impact locally and nationally.

In 2023, SFI developed a new research centres programme, following extensive consultation calling for applications for future centres. This programme is open to existing SFI research centres and provides access to funding, which would run from 2026 to 2033. The pre-proposal applications have been reviewed and as with all SFI programmes, a rigorous international peer review process was adhered to. I am informed by the Minister, Deputy O'Donovan, that it is not possible at this stage to make public the details of who has applied to any programme or the outcome.