Carol Nolan (Laois-Offaly, Independent)
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1451. To ask the Minister for Health if his Department has provided funding either directly or through the aegis of the HSE in each of the years 2015 to 2020 and to date in 2021, to any research facilities and or organisations involved in embryonic stem cell research; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33387/21]

Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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The Department of Health does not directly fund Health Research.

The HSE is also not a research funder and does not receive funds from the Department of Health for the purpose of funding research.

The Health Research Board (HRB) is the organisation that receives funding from the Department of Health for Health research and the HRB does not fund, and has not funded across the years 2015-2021, research involving embryonic stem cells.

The position agreed between the HRB and the Department of Health over a decade ago is that until such time as a policy or regulatory framework is advanced in this area in Ireland - the HRB will not support any projects involving embryonic stem cells. This remains the case and the HRB include this in all call documents and in all eligibility checks.