Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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Question 224: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if he will report on the distribution of funds under the strategic innovation fund announced in December 2005; the amount of the originally promised €300 million for 2006-2010 that has been spent; the sums actually spent in 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009; the amount that will be spent in 2010; and the amount that has been allocated to the universities of the Irish University Association and to the Institutes of Technology.. [9368/10]

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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Question 225: To ask the Minister for Education and Science his views on the recommendations of the Special Group on Public Service Numbers and Expenditure Programmes on the future of the strategic innovation fund for third level education. [9369/10]

Batt O'Keeffe (Cork North West, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 224 and 225 together.

The Strategic Innovation Fund (SIF) was established in 2006 with a major emphasis on promoting inter-institutional collaboration in bringing about substantial change and quality improvement within the Irish higher education system. Projects approved under the Fund are aimed at institutional reform, enhancing teaching and learning, improving access and life long learning and enabling the development of fourth level activity. The original allocation of €300 million was increased to €510 million and the funding period extended under the current NDP to 2013.

There have been two cycles of funding approved under the SIF to date. Cycle 1 was approved in October 2006 with an allocation of €42.3 million and Cycle 2 was approved in February 2008 with an allocation of €101.3 million.

I have set out below, for the information of the Deputy, the funding that was approved by my Department to the lead institutions under cycles 1 and 2. Of the €143.6 million awarded in total, €100.2 million was awarded to projects where the lead institution is in the university sector, while €43.4 million was awarded to projects where the lead institution is in the institute of technology sector. It should be noted that the majority of projects funded involve more than one institution.

Some €58 million has issued to institutions to date - €15 million in 2006, €16 million in 2008 and €27 million in 2009. The allocation for the programme in 2010 is €18 million. The 2010 Budget required difficult choices to be made across all areas of public expenditure, including the SIF programme. These decisions, which took into account the recommendations of the Special Group on Public Service Numbers and Expenditure Programmes, were made to control public expenditure and to ensure sustainability in the long run.

The Higher Education Authority, who manage the programme on behalf of my Department, have recently commissioned an independent review of the programme and this will inform future funding decisions. The HEA will be in contact with institutions in this regard over the coming weeks.

List of Strategic Innovation Fund Cycle I projects by Lead Institution

List of Strategic Innovation Fund Cycle II projects by Lead Institution