Niall Collins (Limerick County, Fianna Fail)
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66. To ask the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation if she is satisfied with the level of funding allocated to the programme for research in third level institutions in 2017; and the amount of funding that has been ring-fenced for research and frontier research in 2017. [22961/17]

John Halligan (Waterford, Independent)
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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 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. Cycle 5, 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 Higher Education Institutes 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.

In addition to the PRTLI allocation, my Department is also allocating €162.5 million to Science Foundation Ireland in 2017 to fund oriented basic and applied research.  SFI does not predetermine or “ring fence” specific funding allocation for basic or applied research.  Funding decisions are made through international peer review on the basis of research excellence and impact. 

My Department and its agencies are important funders of research, with spending on R&D of €394m in 2016.  This accounts for approximately half of total Government investment in R&D. Other Departments invested €367m in R&D in 2016 including funding programmes that encompass all disciplines and all types of research.

Action 3.8 of Innovation 2020, Ireland’s strategy for research and development, science and technology, provides for a new programme to fund Frontier Research.  On 6 April 2017, both myself and Minister Bruton launched the Irish Research Council’s Frontier Research (LAUREATE) Programme, with initial funding of €2.5 million.