Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 135: To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food the number of staff in his Department who have received or are receiving support to participate in post-graduate educational courses in the years 2004 to 2008, inclusive. [26979/08]

Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

During the years 2004 to 2008, 133 staff in the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food either received or are currently receiving support to participate in post graduate educational courses.

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 136: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if he will publish copies of all Masters and PhD. theses on his Department's website as they were paid for from the public purse; and, if in the interim, he will provide this Deputy with copies of the completed research paid for by the State. [26406/08]

Batt O'Keeffe (Cork North West, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

As the Deputy will be aware, a large number of students take Masters by research and PhD programmes in our higher education institutions (HEIs). The precise breakdown between those that are publicly funded and those that are not is not readily available. However, as regards the theses arising from such programmes, these are traditionally retained in hard copy in academic libraries in HEIs and are readily accessible by staff and students. Other members of the public can access these works by making the appropriate arrangements with the institution.

Recently, the research funding agencies have begun the implementation of an 'open access' policy for publicly funded research. The Higher Education Authority (HEA) has developed a policy on Open Access which will be implemented for all future research funding calls. Where a research publication arises in whole or in part from HEA-funded research, researchers will now also be required to file their published research papers in an open access repository as soon as is practical, but within six calendar months at the latest.

In Ireland other agencies that have also adopted an Open Access Policy include the Irish Research Council for Science, Engineering and Technology (IRCSET), Science Foundation Ireland (SFI) and The Health Research Board (HRB).

In a project funded under Cycle 1 of the Strategic Initiative Fund, a number of Irish universities have developed open access repositories of their own and are now engaged in the development of a national open access repository system by connecting the repositories of each participating institution for fuller public accessibility and to increase exposure of Irish University published research. Aside from its benefit to the academic and research community, the move towards open access will make theses and other research outcomes generally available to the interested public.

As the deputy will further appreciate, the extent of the material sought is very broad and extends beyond the remit of my Department. If the Deputy could be more specific, the relevant funding agency or agencies would, I am sure, be in a position to facilitate her request.