Emer Currie (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context

282. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the total Government funding provided for third level research activities in each of the past five years; the Government’s target for increased funding level over coming years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36331/25]

James Lawless (Kildare North, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

The Higher Education R&D (HERD) Survey examines expenditure on research and development activities within the higher education sector, comprising publicly funded higher education institutions (HEIs) in Ireland. The HERD Survey is completed on a biennial basis.

The most recent published detailed analysis relates to 2022-2023 and is available on the Department’s website at: assets.gov.ie/static/documents/higher-education-research-development-survey-2022-2023.pdf

Results from the 2024 survey are undergoing analysis and will be published in 2026.

In 2022, direct and indirect government spend on research and development in third level institutions amounted to €600m. A breakdown of research and development expenditure in the higher education sector in each of the past five years in the table below. Figures up to 2024 are included with odd year figures and those for 2024 estimated based on available data. The 2024 HERD survey is due to be finalised over the coming period with an expected publication date in 2026.

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 additional investment will ensure that Ireland remains competitive on the global stage. I am currently progressing legislative changes to extend the scope of the NTF Act to facilitate this new investment.

My Department continues to engage with the Department of Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation around the National Development Plan, and with our colleagues in Europe on the successor programmes for Horizon Europe within the next Multiannual Financial Framework, to promote the essential role of research and innovation as an economic driver in our knowledge economy, and of research talent and excellence, in driving sustainable development and competitiveness for Ireland and for Europe.

Emer Currie (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context

283. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills to provide an update on the Programme for Government commitment to create research fellowships to strengthen Ireland’s appeal to top-tier academic and research talent; the expected costs of this proposal; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36332/25]

James Lawless (Kildare North, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

There is a comprehensive and ambitious set of commitments for research and innovation in the Programme for Government. This work will be progressed via a number of national policies and strategies, primarily under the national research and innovation strategy Impact 2030, including the commitment to create additional research fellowships to strengthen Ireland's appeal to top-tier academic and research talent.

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 - Research Ireland is working with the Higher Education Authority (HEA), IDA Ireland, Enterprise Ireland, and others to ensure delivery of Ireland's knowledge economy objectives. 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.

Taighde Éireann – Research Ireland 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, particularly 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.

Research Ireland Centres and Research Ireland Centres for Research Training have played an important role in supporting and developing industry collaboration and co-funding. Working with others in the sector (IDA, Enterprise Ireland, HEIs) and through the research programmes it supports, the agency plays a key role in building and maintaining a pipeline of highly skilled and talented individuals who will support local enterprises, continue to attract multinational companies, and drive innovation across all sectors in Ireland.

In 2024 I announced funding of €26 million of funding for 40 research projects funded under the Taighde Éireann – Research Ireland Frontiers for the Future Programme. These projects address key areas such as environmental sustainability, new EV battery technologies, breast cancer, inflammatory bowel disease, and currently untreatable childhood neurological disorders.

In October 2024 I announced €27.5 million in funding for 290 projects under the Government of Ireland postgraduate scholarship and postdoctoral fellowship programmes. The Government of Ireland schemes support exceptional early-career researchers to pursue cutting-edge research with world-class potential in any discipline across the sciences, engineering, arts and humanities. The highly-competitive programme enables the development of high-level skills and knowledge for current and future challenges across a variety of settings, including industry, the public sector, civil society and academia. All awardees are based in Ireland’s higher education and research-performing organisations. The scheme is a unique facet of the Research Ireland portfolio, facilitating early-career researchers to lead on the development and implementation of their research idea. The investment this year will fund 210 postgraduate scholars and 80 postdoctoral fellows.

In June 2025 I announced €23 million Research Ireland funding to support 36 projects for early-career researchers. This investment, through Research Ireland’s Pathway programme, will support emerging researchers in their journey from postdoctoral work towards establishing themselves as independent investigators. The projects receiving funding span a broad range of disciplines, ensuring a broad impact on scientific discovery and societal progress. By aligning with Ireland’s national research priorities, these projects will help drive advancements in key sectors such as healthcare, environmental sustainability, history and education

The Research Ireland Fellowship Programme will see early career researchers be based full-time in Research Ireland for up to two years. Research Ireland will select and develop candidates who are open to taking on new projects outside their current experience and have ongoing flexibility and interest in career progression and development. Research Ireland Fellows will rotate within or across Teams in Research Ireland to gain wide experience, spending one year in each of two different Teams. Research Ireland Fellowship placements will commence during October 2025.

As Research Ireland works towards developing new enterprise facing fellowship programmes to support collaboration with enterprise, this year the original Industry RD&I Fellowship Programme will run one last time under a Placement Stream and the Enterprise Fellowship Scheme (Postdoctoral) will run one final time under a Partnership Stream of the 2025 Research Ireland Enterprise Programme. The placement stream will support academic researchers (at faculty, postdoctoral and late-stage PhD level) wishing to spend time based in industry worldwide. Fellowships can be between 1 and 24 months in duration and can be taken on a full or part-time basis. The partnership stream supports suitably qualified postdoctoral fellows or late-stage PhD students pursuing, or intending to pursue, full-time research for a period of 12 or 24 months based in an eligible research body while partnering with enterprise.

On 13th May, the Government approved the establishment of a Global Talent Initiative, a programme to attract international research talent to Ireland. Research Ireland is now finalising the details of the call for applications, and I expect that I will be in a position to launch the programme shortly. Initial planning is focused on attracting approximately 45 researchers in the coming 3-year period, consisting of both early career high potential researchers as well as established researchers. The initiative will have a preliminary budget of €8 million per annum. The investment required to attract such individuals will not only facilitate the projects they are investigating, it will also attract further high-calibre talent and add to the knowledge and skills base within the Irish University landscape, adding a significant multiplier effect. Seasoned researchers bring immediate credibility as well as a reputation which can have a relatively immediate impact on the group they join and the broader ecosystem, while rising stars inject fresh perspectives and demonstrate long term growth potential.