Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 25 July 2023
1425. Deputy Paul Donnelly asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the 2022 and 2023 budget allocation for his Department’s infrastructure upgrade and refurbishment fund. [35790/23]
View answerThe Infrastructure Upgrade and Refurbishment Fund Programme (IURF) addresses some of the most urgent health and safety issues in the higher education sector, while also upgrading buildings to meet current teaching and learning needs.
An overall allocation of just over €141m has being approved under the IURF to date. This figure includes ten small scale emergency works projects which have been completed in the past few years at a cost of almost €8.5m.
Currently nine large scale refurbishment and upgrade projects across the HE sector are on-going and at various stages of design, planning, procurement and construction under this funding stream. Almost €34m was drawn down on these nine projects to end 2022.
In respect of the IURF allocation in 2023 and 2024 it is not possible to be specific with regard to the level of funding to be provided. This is because the budget is managed at an overall programme level, with profiles regularly updated to take account of the rate of progress of individual projects through design, planning, procurement and construction. However, indications are that in the region of €40m will be drawn down in 2023 and in excess of €20m will be drawn down in 2024 under this programme.
