Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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Question 219: To ask the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation if the programme for research in third level institutions will proceed as announced last July; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35807/11]

Richard Bruton (Dublin North Central, Fine Gael)
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Cycle 5 of the Programme for Research in Third level Institutions (PRTLI) was launched July 2010 with awards totalling €359m comprising €296m in exchequer funding and €63m from private non-Exchequer sources. The PRTLI investment is in strategic areas of science and technology, including environment, marine and sustainable energy; material sciences and platform technology; biosciences translational research, biomedical research and arts, humanities and social sciences. The PRTLI is administered on behalf of the Department by the Higher Education Authority.

In order to satisfy the requirements of the National Recovery Plan, which requires all Departments to secure current expenditure savings over the period to 2014, earlier this year a decision was made to defer the commencement of three PRTLI Cycle 5 projects until the 2013/14 academic year at the earliest. In announcing my Department's capital budget allocation for 2012-2016, I indicated that the PRTLI would be maintained. Resources available on an annual basis will be less than originally projected and will require management over a longer period of time to deliver.