Keira Keogh (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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1407. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills whether funding has been allocated by his Department, or by bodies under its aegis, for research on new treatments for triple negative breast cancer; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47896/25]

James Lawless (Kildare North, Fianna Fail)
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Research Ireland, which operates under the aegis of my Department, annually supports significant research in the broad research priority areas of Health and Well Being (connected health, medical devices, diagnostics, therapeutics) and basic Biomedical Sciences. All of these can underpin cancer research. Providing an accurate figure for research specifically focused on cancer research in the area of Triple Negative Breast Cancer is difficult as research under many large-scale awards could impact in this field.

Research Ireland spends approximately 20% of its annual budget on the Health and Wellbeing and Basic Biomedical areas. An estimated investment figure for the funding of active-current awards in cancer research is €90m - spanning 12 Higher Education Institutions and research performing bodies. In addition, Research Ireland encourages the researchers and centres it funds to leverage and compete for EU and other sources of research and innovation funding.

Research Ireland provides funding to support research aimed at understanding and developing new treatments for triple negative breast cancer under several programmes. Some of these projects are directly focused on this important area of research and other are underpinning it as outlined above. Research Ireland can provide the Deputy with a list of active-current awards in cancer research.

The Deputy’s question has also been appropriately directed to my colleague, the Minister for Health, whose Department also participates in research in this area.