Cormac Devlin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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963. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the number of PhD candidates funded by Research Ireland, including legacy IRC/SFI awards, who have received stipend-equivalent maternity, paternity or adoptive leave supports in the years 2023, 2024 and to date in 2025; the average duration and total cost; and a breakdown by HEI, discipline and funding stream; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51415/25]

James Lawless (Kildare North, Fianna Fail)
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Under Research Ireland's Maternity, Paternity, and Adoptive Leave Policy Research Ireland is committed to minimising and mitigating any existing or perceived factors that may limit the participation of individuals in the research endeavour.

In particular, Research Ireland is committed to supporting the retention of individuals in Research and Innovation and to encourage individuals back into research careers following maternity, paternity, or adoptive leave.

As such, Research Ireland invites its Principal Investigators and grant holders to apply for a supplemental discretionary allowance to support their Research Ireland-funded grant when either a Principal Investigator (PI) or an eligible member of the Research Team takes a period of maternity, paternity, or adoptive leave. The total figure for Maternity, Paternity, and Adoptive Leave for Research Ireland for this period is €262,350.11. A breakdown of grants awarded by HEI, discipline, and funding stream are set out at the link below. Where necessary, categories have been combined for data privacy.

">Discretionary allowance pdf

Cormac Devlin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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964. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if he will universalise paid family leave supports (stipend continuation and no-cost extensions) across all publicly funded PhD candidates, regardless of funding channel (agency, HEI, or departmental/PI grants); the estimated number of candidates currently outside coverage; if ring-fenced funding will be provided in budget 2026 to close this gap; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51416/25]

James Lawless (Kildare North, Fianna Fail)
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Of the approximately 10,000 PhD student enrolments annually in Ireland, in the region of 3,000 receive stipend awards from Research Ireland and approximately 1,000 do so from other public funders. Roughly 2,000 receive some level of institutional scholarship support from their host higher education institution, with the assistance of core funding from the Higher Education Authority. The remaining approximately 4,000 PhD students are privately funded, either by the individual or the employer.

In June 2025, Research Ireland updated its policies for maternity, paternity and adoptive leave. These updated polices include the approximate 3,000 PhD students in receipt of stipend awards that are funded by the agency.

Institutional scholarship supports received by PhD students from their higher education institution are funded primarily by the core funding provided to the sector, which has been progressively increased by the Government over recent years as part of the Funding the Future policy. The use of core funding is at the discretion of each higher education institution whose autonomy in this respect is established in legislation.

For those PhD students in receipt of stipends from national competitive funding agencies outside the remit of my Department, the level of stipend awarded and its Terms and Conditions is at the discretion of each funder and its parent Department.