Thomas Gould (Cork North Central, Sinn Fein)
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120. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if he has met with universities in Cork to discuss the potential of a northside campus. [51643/22]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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I have not been made aware of any plans to develop a campus on the north side of Cork city. However, my Department is willing to work collaboratively with higher education institutions on the development of capital projects in line with their established masterplans.

My Department is currently supporting a number of key ongoing major capital projects in Cork city, including a new Learning Resource Centre on the MTU Cork Campus, which is part of the Higher Education Public Private Partnership Programme, and a major upgrade project to the 1970s Building on the MTU Cork Campus Bishopstown.

UCC is also approved in principle for funding of €25 million under the first phase of the Higher Education Strategic Infrastructure Fund to co-fund a custom-built Business School in Cork city centre.

Two new programme calls recently launched by my Department – the Higher Education Strategic Infrastructure Fund (HESIF II) and Technological Sector Strategic Projects Fund (TSSPF) - will support additional capacity, upgrade and enhance current infrastructure across the higher education sector. Proposals received from MTU and UCC under both of these programme calls are currently under assessment.

Paul Murphy (Dublin South West, RISE)
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121. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the number of PhD researchers who have dropped out of their studies in recent years; and if any research has been done on the reason they dropped out. [51673/22]

Paul Murphy (Dublin South West, RISE)
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601. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if his Department possesses counts of PhD researchers who have dropped out of their studies in recent years. [51748/22]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 121, 601 and 612 together.

The information requested is not available.

The Higher Education Authority (HEA) is responsible for collecting, analysing and disseminating student and graduate enrolment data from higher education institutions and the HEA does not collect data for PhD completion rates.

The Department has not conducted research on the reason behind PhD researchers withdrawing from their programmes but will raise this issue at the next National Forum for Doctoral Education meeting which is scheduled for 14 December 2022.