Paul Murphy (Dublin South West, RISE)
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1280. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if his attention has been drawn to the practice by the Science Foundation of Ireland Centre for Research Training at the University of Limerick of requiring PhD students to undertake unpaid work placement as interns for 12 weeks of up to 45 hours per week as part of their PhD scheme (details supplied); if this practise at the university is also carried out by other universities here; if he will request the University of Limerick and any other universities to review these practises, including a requirement that PhD student interns are paid the same as other interns for the work they carry out and are allowed to freely choose which companies they work for; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18540/21]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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SFI funds 6 Centres for Research Training (CRTs) that are collectively hosted across a partner network of 10 research bodies. The CRTs aim to promote excellence in research and education and will train over 700 doctoral students in data and ICT skills; equipping them with transversal, cross-sectoral and discipline specific skills.

The CRTs have been modelled on international best practice and have been funded following rigorous international peer review. The Centres adhere to best practice guidelines, including but not limited to the National Framework for Doctoral Education and the QQI Statutory Quality Assurance Guidelines for Providers of Research Degree Programmes – which reference procedures for facilitating research mobility and networking, including placements and internships.

These Centres, involving deep engagement with industry, provide a unique opportunity for PhD students and will deliver the critical future skills required for our society and economy. To date, 321 students have been recruited across the 6 SFI CRTs. Of these recruited students, 25 students hosted by the CRT in Data Science (at University of Limerick, University College Dublin and National University of Ireland Maynooth) have undertaken a placement to date.

The primary purpose of a placement is to expose students to other sectors and career paths, as well as building their professional network, ultimately enhancing the students’ employability and mobility in academic and non-academic sectors. The PhDs are offered the opportunity to select which company they wish to carry out their placement at. The PhD student continues to receive their stipend for the duration of the placement. Appropriate support is provided by each CRT to the student in the selection and organisation of a placement with clear consideration of the desired outcomes of the placement for both the student and provider.

Paul Murphy (Dublin South West, RISE)
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1281. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if he will request the University of Limerick and or the Science Foundation of Ireland Centre for Research Training at the University of Limerick to comply with GDPR requirements; if they will be requested to provide their PhD students with all or any information collected in relation to those students that was used in any PhD student internship allocation process by companies involved in such PhD student internship allocation processes; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18541/21]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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Compliance with the GDPR and the Data Protection Act lies with the data controller or joint-data controllers; that being the Science Foundation of Ireland (SFI) Centre for Research Training and/or the University of Limerick. The University of Limerick has a responsibility for ensuring compliance with the Legislation.

I understand that all SFI awardees are subject to compliance of GDPR regulations, and this is stated in SFI’s general grant terms and conditions.

The University of Limerick published Data Protection Policy sets out its commitment to protecting the privacy rights of individuals in accordance with the Legislation. The Policy is designed to assist University of Limerick employees in adhering to the University's Privacy Notices and the Data Protection Acts 1988 & 2018 and the EU General Data Protection Regulation, 2016/679 (GDPR). The University of Limerick Policy is available at where UL state:

- The University of Limerick needs to process personal data in order to deliver our services and to comply with legal requirements.

- We process personal data relating to current and prospective students and staff, members of the public, suppliers and other stakeholders.

- We may also process personal data in the course of our research activity. The University acknowledges its responsibility to safeguard the personal data with which it is entrusted.

- We take care to handle all personal data securely, to process it only for the purposes for which it was collected and to retain it only for the period of time for which it is required. The Policy further states that:

- All functional areas that process personal data must maintain a personal data register, which must include details on personal data collected, held or processed.

- All such local personal data registers must be communicated to when updated by the functional area; •Upon request, these registers will be disclosed to the Office of the Data Protection Commissioner.

It is considered that the individuals concerned should engage with the Data Protection Unit of the University (dataprotection@ul.ie ).

Rose Conway-Walsh (Mayo, Sinn Fein)
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1282. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the procedure used to appoint the independent programme executive director for the TUSEI project; the salary associated with and duration of the contract; if the appointment of an independent programme executive director was requested by institutes of technology within the consortia; if not, if it was an initiative of his Department; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18636/21]

Rose Conway-Walsh (Mayo, Sinn Fein)
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1283. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if technological university consortia other than TUSEI have had or will have an independent programme executive director appointed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18637/21]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 1282 and 1283 together.

It is a matter for applicant institutes of technology, as independent autonomous HEIs, that are seeking TU designation under the 2018 Act to decide the particular administrative processes and governance structures that most appropriately support their efforts to do so.

The Department and the HEA have provided guidance to TU development consortia in relation to the value of strong, robust and effective governance structures to enable a single cohesive vision and strategy, and in so doing have highlighted the potential benefits of utilising persons with specialist expertise and knowledge of higher education, mandated by both applicant institutes’ governing bodies to provide executive leadership for a joint programme of work. This could potentially include persons, whether internal to the institutes or sourced externally, being employed in a project or programme office, or as programme or project directors, managers, leads, facilitators etc. Decisions in this regard remain matters for the governing bodies of the applicant institutes involved.

In the case of the TU4Dublin consortium, whose 2018 application resulted in the establishment of TU Dublin on 1 January 2019, and the CUA consortia that is currently preparing an application seeking TU designation, the Department understands that personnel within the applicant Institutes respectively, acted, or are currently acting, in roles of this type.

In the case of the Cork IT and IT Tralee application in 2019 resulting in the establishment of MTU on 1 January 2021, the consortium utilised both internal specialists and external consultants over the course of the application process

The Athlone IT and Limerick IT consortium project which has resulted in an application being submitted to myself as Minister in November 2020 involved an independent facilitator with in-depth knowledge and experience of the TU application process.

The Department had no involvement in the agreement of contractual terms for the appointment made by the TUSEI consortium, nor in any case where applicant institutes have employed persons in similar type roles.