Danny Healy-Rae (Kerry, Independent)
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165. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment for an update on the increase in funding for the PhD stipends (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6277/25]

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal East, Fianna Fail)
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Following the outcome of the independent “National Review of State Supports for PhD Researchers”, directed by the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science (DFHERIS), the SEAI announced in 2023 that the eligible research stipend budget contribution for SEAI-funded PhD students was increasing from €18,500 to €25,000 per annum effective from 1 January 2024. This was applied immediately to the 2023 call of the SEAI Research, Development and Demonstration Programme which, together with co-funding partners, awarded €20m in Government funding to 40 new research projects.

Prior year grantees (pre-2023) were also advised to accommodate the stipend increase. This approach has worked for most grantees, but the SEAI received feedback from a small number of grant holders where the stipend increase had not yet been allocated. The SEAI has now engaged with the relevant universities to quantify the outstanding commitments and is currently working through a solution for these cases, with the intent to pay the increase with effect from 1 January 2024.