Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 21 September 2011
35 Deputy Jack Wall asked the Minister for Education and Skills his plans on the provision of a new grant system or funding allocation to assist with research and development for students; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25160/11]
View answerThis year my Department is providing some €41 million to support research activities across a range of programmes, including schemes managed by the Irish Research Council for Humanities and Social Sciences (IRCHSS) and the Irish Research Council for Science, Engineering and Technology (IRCSET), and the technological sector research initiative. These schemes specifically focus on providing funding support to post graduate students and early-career post doctoral fellows.
As the Deputy will be aware, my colleague the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform is undertaking a Comprehensive Expenditure Review across all areas of Government spending. This process will inform budgetary allocations for the coming years. In this context, the Deputy will appreciate that I am not presently in a position to comment on specific areas of expenditure within my Department.
