Pádraig O'Sullivan (Cork North Central, Fianna Fail)
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589. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if he will review the case of a person (details supplied) in relation to the Higher Education Authority Covid-19 extension fund with a view to resolving the payment issue for current Department of Education teachers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9044/22]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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COVID-19, as elsewhere, caused major disruption to all activities at our higher education institutions (HEIs). This includes their research activities. In 2020 the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science (D/FHERIS), secured a package of €168m to address the impact of COVID -19 restrictions on Higher Education. Of the €168m, €48m was provided to help address the impact of the same restrictions on research.

I am not involved in the assessment of individual cases. The Higher Education Authority was given responsibility for the allocation of these monies to institutions and the funding is administered centrally by the research office led by the Head of Research (or equivalent) in each institution. Extensions supported by this funding were to be allocated to the researchers and research students in greatest need.

I understand from the HEA that each individual applicant’s eligibility to receive a costed extension was determined on a case-by-case basis by their institution and, where relevant, approval to grant a costed extension was to be secured from the appropriate research funder.  At TCD part time PhD candidates who are employed by the Department of Education on a full-time basis were confirmed by the institution as eligible to receive a costed extension. In accordance with the ‘One Person One Salary’ (OPOS) principle, serving public servants require the consent of the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform in order to undertake other forms of paid remuneration in any part of the public service.

I understand that the institution involved sought consent form the HEA to approach DPER seeking permission to provide the candidates with the extra payment a costed extension would bring. Given that the candidates were in full time public service, and were not previously in receipt of a stipend, the HEA turned down the request in relation to a stipend.   Research costs may be issued to the candidates through their research account and any subsequent tax liabilities will be the responsibility of the individual. Fees for those impacted by COVID have been waived by institutions.