James Lawless (Kildare North, Fianna Fail)
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591. To ask the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the status of the PRTLI programme; if she has satisfied herself that the current funding is sufficient and well structured; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [23013/17]

Mary Mitchell O'Connor (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael)
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The Programme for Research in Third Level Institutions (PRTLI) has provided funding for top-class research infrastructure and human capital development across Ireland’s Higher Education Institutes (HEIs) in key strategic areas including bioscience, medical technologies; energy, social sciences and humanities and ICT to name but a few.

Since the PRTLI started in 1998, there have been 5 Cycles of investment to date totalling €1.2 billion of combined Exchequer and private investment. The Cycle 5 allocation, awarded in 2010, involves over €287m in direct Exchequer funding. Cycle 5 is now coming to a close with 29 of the 33 projects fully completed. As the outstanding bill to HEIs has been reducing, the allocation to the PRTLI in my Department’s Vote has also reduced. My Department’s allocation to the PRTLI in 2017 is €14.4m. This is being used towards meeting the remaining Cycle 5 liabilities.

The planning and design of a successor to Cycle 5 of PRTLI is an action in Innovation 2020 and is being progressed by my Department working closely with the Department of Education and Skills. My Department has included a proposal to commence funding for a successor to Cycle 5 of the PRTLI in its submission to the Mid-term Review of the Capital Plan. It is my intention to fund a successor to Cycle 5 over an extended funding period, subject to this funding being secured. There will be more clarity on a successor to Cycle 5 when this review is concluded, and the funding envelope for this and other projects is finalised.