Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 15 June 2021
1078. Deputy Rose Conway-Walsh asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science , further to Parliamentary Question No. 592 of 11 May, the difference between his Department's directed top slice and the strategic systems top slice; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31824/21]
View answerMy Department allocates recurrent funding to the Higher Education Authority (HEA) for direct disbursement to HEA designated higher education institutions.
The HEA allocates this funding to the institutions via the recurrent funding model. Top sliced, ring fenced funding for specific strategic or important purposes is a component of the funding model.
Annually a top slice consultation process is undertaken between the HEA, the department and sector representatives via the sectoral Top-Slice Working Group
In this regard 'Strategic System Top Slices' are agreed between the HEA and the sector for specific sectoral strategic purposes, for example the Irish Survey of Student Engagement.
The ‘DFHERIS Directed Top-slices’ refer to top-sliced funding from the annual recurrent grant which are agreed as part of the annual budgetary process with the Department, for example the Technological University Transformation Fund.
