Patrick Costello (Dublin South Central, Green Party)
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132. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if he will provide additional funding per registered PhD student to each university to allow them to pay an increased stipend, bringing their income in line with the €28,000 paid to individuals on the PhD Innovate for Ireland programme. [51670/22]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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My Department is currently collaborating with other stakeholders on the development of the Innovate for Ireland programme, which we do not expect to be in place before 2023.

The stipend determined for that programme will apply to the Innovate for Ireland programme only.

My Department is currently preparing a review of PhD provision. This review should conclude early next year, on the basis of available information, how issues of support for PhDs should be managed, mindful of the different stakeholders involved including DFHERIS competitive funders, HEA, HEIs, other public and private funders and the students themselves.

I should also explain that my Department allocates recurrent funding to the HEA for direct disbursement to HEA designated higher education institutions. The HEA allocates this funding as a block grant to the institutions and as autonomous bodies, the internal disbursement of this funding is a matter for the individual institution.

I might add that Impact 2030, Ireland’s Research and Innovation Strategy prioritises the nurturing and development of talent and excellence to build on Ireland’s reputation as an Island of Talent and a location for research excellence and impact. The strategy recognises that the quality of our researchers is fundamental to the quality of our research system, its collaboration with partners in industry and policymakers, both in Ireland and abroad. The strategy also highlights the need to foster an environment within the research and innovation community that supports our ambition to be an Island of Inclusion and Engagement.

Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance)
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134. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if he will ensure that all postgraduate psychology students are provided with funded doctorate programmes and to end the discrepancies in funding between clinical, educational and counselling psychologists; if he will abolish all fees for these programmes to address the chronic shortage of these professionals across the public service; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51702/22]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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As the Deputy is aware, Higher Education Institutions are autonomous institutions and therefore it is a matter for individual institutions to determine the rate of tuition fees for postgraduate academic programmes including psychology.

My Department is strongly committed to supporting the health and wellbeing of the population through the provision of graduates with the key competencies and skills to be effective in the health workforce, and support a range of clinical teams in our health services.

My Department understands there is a longstanding arrangement in place under which the HSE recruit Trainee Clinical Psychologists and sponsor their training in order to encourage employment with the HSE of suitably qualified professionals. This arrangement is made by the HSE and is not the responsibility of my Department. The question of whether similar arrangements should be put in place in relation to other psychological specialities in order to meet their workforce needs is a matter for consideration by the appropriate recruiting bodies.

Issues arising from sponsorships and employment eligibility in relation to psychologists, and indeed more generally, are matters for relevant employers rather than the responsibility of my Department.