Darren O'Rourke (Meath East, Sinn Fein)
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411. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the measures he will take to address the funding crisis in higher education institutions to reduce the reliance on student contributions; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14927/25]

James Lawless (Kildare North, Fianna Fail)
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The Funding the Future Framework published in May 2022, outlines the vision for how higher education will be funded and how this will support students, employers and wider society. The Framework identified an amount of €307 million as representing the quantum of increase in core funding required to deliver enhanced performance, strategic reforms and strengthened quality of outcomes.

The enhanced higher education system performance to be delivered in return for increased investment under Funding the Future is to be aligned to strategic priorities defined in the framework, alongside parallel efforts to address the cost of education as a barrier to participation.

Over the three budgets since the publication of Funding the Future, an additional €164.4 million has been secured in exchequer and employer funding with a commitment to deliver a further €100 million by 2030 from the National Training Fund (NTF). The €164.4 million figure includes €58.7 million that was secured in Budget 2025 for Funding the Future.

It is anticipated that further additional exchequer funding will be secured in future estimates processes to deliver on Funding the Future commitments, including on priorities such as healthcare places and tertiary programmes. I also remain fully committed to easing the financial burden on students and families in a financially sustainable way.

Darren O'Rourke (Meath East, Sinn Fein)
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412. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the means by which he will support research and innovation in Irish universities to ensure Ireland remains competitive on the global stage; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14928/25]

James Lawless (Kildare North, Fianna Fail)
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There is a comprehensive and ambitious set of commitments for research and innovation in the new Programme for Government. This work will be progressed via a number of national policies and strategies, under the national research and innovation strategy Impact 2030.

Under Budget 2025, additional funding was announced for Taighde Éireann – Research Ireland, with its total budget funding research in the Irish Third Level system now standing at €309.2 Million. This also includes funding to increase its PhD stipend level to €25,000.

The formation of Taighde Éireann – Research Ireland in August 2024 is designed to build a more effective and cohesive national research and innovation system. Taighde Éireann will be working with the Higher Education Authority (HEA), IDA Ireland, Enterprise Ireland, and others to ensure a continued pipeline of a highly skilled research workforce which are critical to delivering on Ireland's knowledge economy objectives. Researchers, research talent and excellence, will be cornerstones of the new agency in supporting a vibrant research base and building Ireland’s global reputation as a research and innovation leader across all disciplines. Research Ireland funds and champions research excellence and talent to maximise impact, ensuring that funding opportunities meet the needs of the research and innovation ecosystem, whilst delivering sustainable economic, societal, cultural, and environmental impact. Taighde Éireann funds partnerships of all scales, from curiosity-driven research across all disciplines and career stages, including early-career researchers, to large-scale research and innovation mechanisms.

Research Ireland Centres link researchers in partnerships across academia and industry in areas of strategic focus, consistently delivering groundbreaking research. The Frontiers for the Future Programme enables independent investigators to conduct highly innovative, collaborative research. The Co-Centre Programme provides opportunities for researchers to build strategic collaborative partnerships across Ireland, Great Britain and Northern Ireland. The National Challenge Fund incentivises researchers to develop solutions to key challenges in the areas of Green Transition and Digital Transformation. The ARC Hub Programme seeks to establish a new model for regional innovation and entrepreneurial training. The Pathway programme supports talented postdoctoral researchers from all research disciplines to develop their track record and transition to become independent research leaders. These examples demonstrate the breadth and scope of the agency's engagement with the research and innovation ecosystem, including a highly collaborative relationship with the Higher Education Authority.

As part of Budget 2025, a National Training Fund funding package of nearly €1.5 billion over a six-year period was agreed for the tertiary sector. This includes €650m in a core funding package for the higher education institutions, to utilise as they deem appropriate, consistent with the need to secure the most beneficial, effective and efficient use of those resources. This additional investment will ensure that Ireland remains competitive on the global stage.

In line with the Programme for Government and the Government's continued support for the development of the Technological Universities (TU) sector, under TU Research and Innovation Supporting Enterprise (TU RISE), a fund of €83.68m will be made available to higher education institutions in the technological sector to support research capacity building with a focus on enhancing engagement with regional enterprises. TU RISE will enhance central research functions within the technological university sector to further institutions’ engagements with their regions.

I have also announced the allocation of Performance Funding Awards totalling €5 million to five higher education institutions. Each institution is being awarded €1 million in recognition of their exemplary and significant contributions to the delivery of national priorities. The performance funding is awarded on the basis of an evaluation of 14 Impact Assessment Case Studies submitted by higher education institutions (HEIs) to the Higher Education Authority (HEA) in September 2024. HEIs were invited to submit case studies describing exemplary initiatives that contributed towards the achievement of national strategic objectives aligned with the higher education System Performance Framework 2023–2028. The submissions were assessed by an independent, international panel of expert evaluators.

Finally, Global Citizens 2030, Ireland’s Talent and Innovation Strategy sets out Ireland’s ambitions to embed excellence in talent and innovation into Ireland’s global footprint and is the first international strategy to encompass the breadth of tertiary education, and research and innovation systems. It builds upon Ireland’s many achievements over the past decade and is intended to confirm Ireland’s place as a first choice destination for international talent and as a thought leader in education, research, innovation and science policy.

Darren O'Rourke (Meath East, Sinn Fein)
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413. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills her plans to address the high cost of student accommodation and improve access to affordable housing for third-level students; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14929/25]

James Lawless (Kildare North, Fianna Fail)
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I am conscious that the cost of accommodation can be a challenge for many students and could make the reality of higher education beyond the reach of some. Increasing the supply of student accommodation is a priority for this Government and I. Student reliance on the private market has an impact on overall housing supply; an increase in the provision of student specific accommodation has the added benefit of freeing up beds in the private rental housing market.

A new Student Accommodation Strategy is in development following Government approval of the long-term Policy in January 2024. The Strategy aims to increase supply of state supported student accommodation, reduce the cost of delivery through development of standardised design guidance, promote efficient use of existing building stock through refurbishment and an examination of vacancy, while supporting balanced regional development through a Technological University (TU) Feasibility Study.

The intention of a TU Feasibility Study is to develop a programmatic approach to facilitate future Technological University student accommodation proposals. The results of this programme will determine what opportunities are available to meet the future demand for student accommodation through either new-build PBSA, leasing, acquisition, refurbishing or redevelopment of existing sites. A number of accommodation delivery mechanisms are being examined.

The Standardised Design Study will be key to establishing best practice and value for money for the State, ensuring affordability of additional supply for students. The TU Feasibility Study is progressing in tandem with the Standardised Design Study for student accommodation, to enable a viable design model for state supported student accommodation based on regional needs and feasibility assessments.

The outcomes of these studies will provide a framework of delivery models and funding options to inform the new Strategy and it is intended that the Strategy will be delivered in Q2 2025.

In advance of the new Strategy, the Government approved a capital investment of €100m from the National Development Plan enable the progression of new purpose-built student accommodation beds through the Department’s Short-Term Activation Plan.

Under this measure funding is provided to higher education institutions to activate projects with planning permission that had stalled due to cost viability challenges. Delivery will commence from the 2025/26 academic year.

A percentage of the new beds will be ringfenced for target group students at below market rates. The target group are those considered most disadvantaged by the SUSI, NAP and DARE schemes.

To assist with an immediate supply of accommodation, my department for the second year, ran a promotional campaign to encourage homeowners to rent a spare room to a student. This traditional form of accommodation can provide a suitable and affordable option for some.

Currently, there are over 3,900 digs beds advertised by our higher education institutions. The 2024 rent-a-room campaign resulted in an increase of approximately 1,800 digs beds advertised by our HEIs. This is an additional 2,500 beds when compared to the same period in 2023.

Barry Heneghan (Dublin Bay North, Independent)
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414. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills his views on the agreed collaboration between UCD and Boston Northeastern University regarding the new double master’s degree in sustainability engineering leadership; and if will outline the importance of this type of collaboration for the future of innovation in Ireland. [13705/25]

James Lawless (Kildare North, Fianna Fail)
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I very much welcome this collaboration between UCD and Northeastern University in Boston. While it is a clear example of leveraging the collective expertise and leadership in both institutions, it also aligns with the ambition and objectives of Global Citizens 2030, which is Ireland’s international talent and innovation strategy.

The nature of skills, both nationally and globally, is constantly changing, particularly as we look to equip people with the skills required for a more sustainable future. Ireland must be innovative in its approach to ensure it can play its part in this matter. Collaboration of this nature will serve as models for other Irish Higher education Institutions to build their capacity to develop the skill required to serve, not just the Irish economy, but the wider global context.