Rose Conway-Walsh (Mayo, Sinn Fein)
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810. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills further to Parliamentary Question No. 360 of 24 June 2021, the overall percentage of academic and research staff in full-time permanent employment in public higher education institutes; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41635/21]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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Following Parliamentary Question (PQ) 34106/21, I undertook to revert with additional information.

The question posed requested the percentages of academic and research staff respectively in full-time permanent employment in higher education institutes and the data available to my Department in respect of the Institutes of Technology and Technological Universities were not in a format, whereby those percentages could be calculated. 

My Department has since sought updated information from the Higher Education Authority.  Based on the Quarter 1 2021 Employment Control Framework returns, the Authority has advised of the following:

Universities:

81.6% of academics are in full-time permanent employment and 5.5% of researchers are in full-time permanent employment. 

Institutes of Technology and Technological Universities:

83.6% of academics are in full-time permanent employment and 16.6% of researchers are in full-time permanent employment.

The definition/ categorisation of staff used for the purpose of reporting data takes place at HEI level.

In relation to the question of precarious employment, as I have highlighted before, there are a number of work streams which are relevant.  I am engaging with the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform and with the HEA regarding a revised employment control framework.  The Deputy will be aware that we have also established a subgroup of the national advisory forum for Ireland’s framework for doctoral education which is considering the overall position as regards PhD students.  My Department will continue to engage with the HEA regarding its analysis of the staff data to inform how this issue can be further addressed.