Fiona O'Loughlin (Kildare South, Fianna Fail)
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439. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if funds will be allocated in 2017 for research in third level institutions; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1768/17]

Fiona O'Loughlin (Kildare South, Fianna Fail)
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440. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills to set out in tabular form the funding allocated for research in each of the third level institutions for each of the years from 2006 to 2016; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1769/17]

Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 439 and 440 together.

My Department currently provides research funding to the Irish Research Council, HEAnet and the Irish Centre for High End Computing (ICHEC). The 2017 research allocation is €40.6 m for these three bodies.

The Irish Research Council mainly funds postgraduate students and early stage postdoctoral researchers and cover the full range of disciplines spanning the humanities, social sciences, business, law, sciences, engineering and technology. Awards are made on a competitive basis on the basis of excellence following assessment by expert independent panels. HEAnet is Ireland's National Education and Research Network, providing internet connectivity and associated ICT services to higher education and research organisations throughout Ireland. Its e-Infrastructure services underpin the academic research and education activity for the third level sector, as well as providing e-infrastructure to all the primary and post-primary schools. ICHEC is Ireland's national high performance computer centre, providing high-performance computing services, support, education and training for researchers in higher education institutions and Irish enterprise.

The Annual Accounts of the Higher Education Authority provide a thematic breakdown, including research, of the funding it issues to the higher education institutions. The extracts from these annual accounts for 2006 to 2015 (latest date) showing this thematic breakdown is attached. The research funding would cover a number of areas, including the Programme for Research in Third Level Institutions (PRTLI), Irish Research Council, HEAnet, ICHEC, E-Journals and Irish Aid. The Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, since 2010 funds the PRTLI, and it also co-funds e-journals and ICHEC; while the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade funds Irish Aid.