Jim O'Callaghan (Dublin Bay South, Fianna Fail)
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580. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the estimated annual cost to the Exchequer of raising PhD stipends to €25,000, €30,000 and €35,000. [38905/24]

Patrick O'Donovan (Limerick County, Fine Gael)
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In October 2022, an independent and comprehensive National Review of State Supports for PhD Researchers was announced; the first time that this issue has been considered holistically in this manner. The first report of the Co-Chairs, Dr Andrea Johnson and Mr David Cagney, was published in summer 2023. In it, they recommended an increase towards an optimum PhD stipend level of €25,000, subject to funding availability.

In Budget 2024, funding was secured to increase the PhD stipend offered by my competitive research funding agency (now Research Ireland), from €19,000 to €22,000 annually, i.e. a 15.8% increase. This builds on the increase secured under Budget 2023, demonstrating my Department's clear and consistent commitment to this issue. My officials continue to engage with the budgetary processes with the aim of progressing the matter further.

Of the approximately 10,000 annual doctoral enrolments in Ireland, approximately 3,000 are funded by Research Ireland, who in 2024 are receiving a competitively awarded stipend of €22,000. This means that funding the 3,000 Research Ireland doctoral stipends is costing the Exchequer €66m this year (3,000 x €22,000).

The estimated cost to the Exchequer of increasing Research Ireland's competitive PhD stipend awards further, from the 2024 figure of €22,000, would be as follows:

• Up to €25,000 would cost an additional €9,000,000. (3,000 X €3,000)
• Up to €30,000 would cost an additional €24,000,000. (3,000 X €8,000)
• Up to €35,000 would cost an additional €39,000,000. (3,000 X €13,000).