Written Answers Nos. 794-813
799. Deputy Cian O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science whether any pathways for job opportunities are being developed for people who take part in QQI training and education courses, specifically at a location (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30832/23]
View answerThe Central Remedial Clinic (CRC) is a voluntary organisation and national charity working with children and adults with disabilities. As part of its Adult Services the CRC delivers a number of education and training modules and programmes, accredited by Quality and Qualifications Ireland (QQI), at levels 1 to 3 on the National Framework of Qualifications (NFQ) to learners.
The CRC also has a provider relationship with the City of Dublin Education and Training Board (CDETB). As part of this arrangement the CDETB offers an 18-month Employability Skills Programme, providing Introductory Vocational Skills Training within the CRC, to assist learners to achieve a QQI Major Award in Employability Skills at level 3 on the NFQ. The aim of this programme is to work in partnership with learners to develop their confidence and to support them in achieving the skills that they need in order to progress onto employment or further education.
In 2021 the CRC received €200,000 from Pobal to further support the employment of people with disabilities. This funding supported the CRC, in partnership with the Ballymun Jobs Centre, to design and deliver a year-long ‘Employment Plus’ programme which supports adults entering employment. The Employment Plus programme's focus is to support those who want to enter employment and to co-create a transition pathway with the learner.
Further information about these programmes is available on the CRC’s website: www.crc.ie/services/cdetb-employability-skills-programme/
800. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science when he will publish the National Review of State Supports for PhD researchers. [31071/23]
View answer801. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science his views on providing PhD researchers who are non-EEA citizens with updated residency visas with a four-year duration; if he has engaged with the Minister for Justice on the matter; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31072/23]
View answer802. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science his views on enabling PhD research to have access to the PRSI system and to access sick leave and parental leave; if he has engaged with the Minister for Social Protection on the matter; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31073/23]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 800 to 802, inclusive, together.
In November 2022, I appointed Dr Andrea Johnson and Mr David Cagney to undertake an independent National Review of State Supports for PhD Researchers. This reflects the objective, under the dedicated Talent Pillar of Impact 2030, Ireland’s national research and innovation strategy, for a consistent research student experience across research funders, higher education institutions and research disciplines.
The Review Terms of Reference comprise examination of:
• Current financial supports for PhD researchers,
• The adequacy, consistency and equity of current arrangements,
• The status of PhD researchers (employee/ student) including a review of international comparators,
• Impact on the funding of research programmes of any adjustments to current supports,
• Graduate outcomes, including return on investment,
• Visa requirements and duration for non-EU students.
The Co-Chairs have recently submitted their first report to me which I brought to Cabinet on Tuesday 20 June for information in advance of its publication on my Department’s web site.
In this first report, based on extensive consultation and analysis, the Co-Chairs provide recommendations on the following:
• Financial supports for PhD researchers, with particular regard to stipend levels;
• Issues encountered by PhD researchers coming to Ireland from outside the European Union/ European Economic Area;
• Improving PhD graduate outcomes.
Within this, they recommend an increased stipend level, with an optimum target of €25,000. They acknowledge the potential ramifications of any such change on public finances and recognise that significant additional work will be needed in order give effect to such a recommendation.
Because of their particular complexity, the following elements of the terms of reference will require deeper analysis prior to final recommendations being made:
• Consistency and equity of approaches in how PhD researchers are supported, for example, those coming from underrepresented groups;
• The status of a PhD researcher, i.e. classification as either a student or an employee.
The Co-Chairs will prepare a final review report to consider these outstanding issues. The status issue in particular will require significant examination – especially in terms of any consequences for the Employment Control Framework.
This first report provides a rich picture, at a point in time, of a range of important issues that now need to be considered by all stakeholders. Any budgetary implications of recommendations will be dealt with through the normal budgetary processes.
803. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science his views on Ireland’s position with regard to scientific concentration in the recent IMD World Competitiveness Yearbook; and his plans to improve on the ranking of No. 35 in total expenditure on R&D and scientific infrastructure (details supplied). [31116/23]
View answerI was pleased to see that Ireland’s strong economic performance has been recognised in the latest IMD World Competitiveness Rankings, coming second out of the sixty-four countries analysed.
Ireland’s policy of investing in our research and innovation (R&I) capability over the past twenty years has had a significant impact on our industrial development, contributing to job creation and our current levels of economic prosperity. As a result of a sustained commitment to research, development and innovation, Ireland has successfully built-up research capacity and an international reputation for research excellence.
In recent years Ireland has significantly increased our total public and private expenditure on R&I (i.e., Gross Expenditure on R&D or GERD), from €2.6 billion in 2011 to an estimated €4.7 billion in 2021, an 80% increase in value. This is the highest amount invested in the history of the State. This increase has been largely driven by enterprise expenditure growth, from €1.8 billion in 2011 to €3.9 billion in 2021.
It should be noted that in international comparison tables such as this IMD report, the metric used is overall private and public research investment as a percentage of GDP. A key challenge that we face when being compared to other advanced economies is that Ireland’s increases in R&I investment are not keeping pace with the economic growth that has propelled us to second in the 2023 IMD World Competitiveness Ranking.
It is for this reason that Impact 2030: Ireland’s Research and Innovation Strategy has set the goal of increasing R&I investment to 2.5% of GNI* by 2030. GNI* considers the overall economic performance of Ireland whose economy includes substantial foreign investment. It is designed to exclude globalisation effects that are disproportionally impacting the measurement of the size of the Irish economy. Using this measure, Ireland’s research intensity level was estimated at 2% of GNI* in 2021. The EU average was 2.26% of GDP in 2021 (provisional).
Notwithstanding the highly competitive global environment, Impact 2030 will sustain and improve our internationally recognised R&I system, addressing any identified gaps emerging relative to competitors and leveraging our own particular strengths in order to position Ireland as a centre of R&I excellence and impact.
However, we cannot be complacent. Failing to keep pace with other small, advanced economies in terms of investment in R&I represents a significant risk to the competitiveness of our economy, to our labour market productivity, to the growth of high-value employment, to our attractiveness to FDI and to our global standing as a ‘strong innovator’.
Our standings in the other scientific concentration indicators will be improved over the lifetime of the strategy. Impact 2030 and the White Paper on Enterprise commit to increasing the number of researchers from 9.52 per 1,000 in the labour force to 15 per 1,000 by 2030. Also in development as part of Impact 2030's first Work Programme from 2022-2024 is an infrastructure investment framework to identify ready-to-go projects, thereby optimising any agreed re-allocation of NDP underspends to R&I funding. To begin this work, SFI, in partnership with DFHERIS and the HEA, has undertaken an independent policy evaluation to: (a) evaluate the performance of SFI's research infrastructure investment programmes from 2015-2021 and recommend opportunities for improvement; and (b) recommend future national mechanisms to invest in research infrastructure, to include an landscape analysis on which to base potential investment scenario recommendations. This evaluation was completed and published in 2022, and work continues in this area.
Ireland also performs well internationally with respect to female researchers as a percentage of total researchers in the Higher Education sector. Ireland has been steadily moving up in the last ten years, ranking 8th out of 31 OECD countries in 2020. In total, 50% of research staff in the Higher Education sector and 43% of research staff in the Government sector are women. This contrasts with the Business Sector where women accounted for 27% of R&D Personnel. Enterprise Ireland’s 2020 Action Plan for Women in Business aims to improve female representation through funding calls targeting women entrepreneurs, and women researchers from third level institutions. In 2012, just 8 out of 97 participating high potential start-ups (HPSU) were female-led (8%) which has increased to 37% in 2022, when 34 of the 91 participating in the programme were female led.
804. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the estimated full-year cost of abolishing third-level registration and tuition fees for repeating students including the associated reduction in the student support grant; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31167/23]
View answerI thank the Deputy for raising matters in relation to the cost of supporting students with tuition fees and other higher education costs.
In advance of Budget 2024 this autumn, and as I did last year, I will be publishing an options paper which will set out various possible measures to address the cost of education. I am doing this in order to facilitate public discussion on the various choices available to amend student supports. This will include options in respect of repeating students.
I will have regard to these options, including any options in respect of providing additional tuition fee supports or tuition fee contribution costs, when making proposals in the context of budget discussions.
In terms of fees and costs which are set by institutions themselves, as the Deputy will be aware, the higher education tuition fee payable by a student can vary depending on a variety factors including the type of course and the fee rates of a particular institution. Higher education institutions are autonomous bodies and are responsible for their own day-to-day management and operational affairs, including the management of academic affairs. They retain the right to determine their own policies and procedures. The total level of fees payable to the institution in the case of repeat fees, postgraduate tuition fees or the charge of any other fees upon registration such as a student levy, in addition to the total number of students enrolled, are generally matter for the relevant institution to determine in line with its own criteria. An estimated cost of the State fully supporting all such fees or all fees for specific courses is therefore not readily available.
805. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if PhD researchers classified as non-EU will be provided with updated residency visas with a four year duration, similar to the hosting agreement scheme used for attracting non-EU research talent; if a recommendation be made that PhD researchers have access to PRSI; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31199/23]
View answer806. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if a recommendation will be made on mandating that PhD researchers have access to sick leave and/or parental leave; if a recommendation will be made for PhD researchers to have access to the Workplace Relations Commission in order to resolve disputes with their university; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31200/23]
View answer807. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if a recommendation will be made on establishing minimum standards for the provision of funding for PhD researchers in Ireland, including minimum standards of pay, such as the national minimum wage; and if a recommendation will be made on the matter of employee status for PhD researchers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31201/23]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 805 to 807, inclusive, together.
In November 2022, I appointed Dr Andrea Johnson and Mr David Cagney to undertake an independent National Review of State Supports for PhD Researchers. This reflects the objective, under the dedicated Talent Pillar of Impact 2030, Ireland’s national research and innovation strategy, for a consistent research student experience across research funders, higher education institutions and research disciplines.
The Review Terms of Reference comprise examination of:
• Current financial supports for PhD researchers,
• The adequacy, consistency and equity of current arrangements,
• The status of PhD researchers (employee/ student) including a review of international comparators,
• Impact on the funding of research programmes of any adjustments to current supports,
• Graduate outcomes, including return on investment,
• Visa requirements and duration for non-EU students.
The Co-Chairs have recently submitted their first report to me which I brought to Cabinet on Tuesday 20 June for information in advance of its publication on my Department’s web site.
In this first report, based on extensive consultation and analysis, the Co-Chairs provide recommendations on the following:
• Financial supports for PhD researchers, with particular regard to stipend levels;
• Issues encountered by PhD researchers coming to Ireland from outside the European Union/ European Economic Area;
• Improving PhD graduate outcomes.
Within this, they recommend an increased stipend level, with an optimum target of €25,000. They acknowledge the potential ramifications of any such change on public finances and recognise that significant additional work will be needed in order give effect to such a recommendation.
Because of their particular complexity, the following elements of the terms of reference will require deeper analysis prior to final recommendations being made:
• Consistency and equity of approaches in how PhD researchers are supported, for example, those coming from underrepresented groups;
• The status of a PhD researcher, i.e. classification as either a student or an employee.
The Co-Chairs will prepare a final review report to consider these outstanding issues. The status issue in particular will require significant examination – especially in terms of any consequences for the Employment Control Framework.
This first report provides a rich picture, at a point in time, of a range of important issues that now need to be considered by all stakeholders. Any budgetary implications of recommendations will be dealt with through the normal budgetary processes.
808. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if he will confirm whether PhD researchers classified as non-EU will be provided with updated residency visas with a four-year duration, similar to the hosting agreement scheme used for attracting non-EU research talent. [31216/23]
View answer809. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if a recommendation will be made that PhD researchers have access to PRSI. [31217/23]
View answer810. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if a recommendation will be made on mandating that PhD researchers have access to sick leave and/or parental leave. [31218/23]
View answer811. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if a recommendation will be made for PhD researchers to have access to the Workplace Relations Commission in order to resolve disputes with their university. [31219/23]
View answer812. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science whether a recommendation will be made on establishing minimum standards for the provision of funding for PhD researchers in Ireland, including minimum standards of pay (such as the national minimum wage). [31220/23]
View answer813. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science whether a recommendation will be made on the matter of employee status for PhD researchers. [31221/23]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 808 to 813, inclusive, together.
In November 2022, I appointed Dr Andrea Johnson and Mr David Cagney to undertake an independent National Review of State Supports for PhD Researchers. This reflects the objective, under the dedicated Talent Pillar of Impact 2030, Ireland’s national research and innovation strategy, for a consistent research student experience across research funders, higher education institutions and research disciplines.
The Review Terms of Reference comprise examination of:
• Current financial supports for PhD researchers,
• The adequacy, consistency and equity of current arrangements,
• The status of PhD researchers (employee/ student) including a review of international comparators,
• Impact on the funding of research programmes of any adjustments to current supports,
• Graduate outcomes, including return on investment,
• Visa requirements and duration for non-EU students.
The Co-Chairs have recently submitted their first report to me which I brought to Cabinet on Tuesday 20 June for information in advance of its publication on my Department’s web site.
In this first report, based on extensive consultation and analysis, the Co-Chairs provide recommendations on the following:
• Financial supports for PhD researchers, with particular regard to stipend levels;
• Issues encountered by PhD researchers coming to Ireland from outside the European Union/ European Economic Area;
• Improving PhD graduate outcomes.
Within this, they recommend an increased stipend level, with an optimum target of €25,000. They acknowledge the potential ramifications of any such change on public finances and recognise that significant additional work will be needed in order give effect to such a recommendation.
Because of their particular complexity, the following elements of the terms of reference will require deeper analysis prior to final recommendations being made:
• Consistency and equity of approaches in how PhD researchers are supported, for example, those coming from underrepresented groups;
• The status of a PhD researcher, i.e. classification as either a student or an employee.
The Co-Chairs will prepare a final review report to consider these outstanding issues. The status issue in particular will require significant examination – especially in terms of any consequences for the Employment Control Framework.
This first report provides a rich picture, at a point in time, of a range of important issues that now need to be considered by all stakeholders. Any budgetary implications of recommendations will be dealt with through the normal budgetary processes.
