Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 22 January 2025
1732. Deputy Réada Cronin asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the timescale for the introduction for the €25,000 stipend for SFI and IRC-funded PhD students; which PhD students qualify for the €25,000 stipend; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1981/25]
View answerIn October 2022, an independent and comprehensive National Review of State Supports for PhD Researchers was announced; the first time that this issue has been considered holistically in this manner. The first report of the Co-Chairs, Dr Andrea Johnson and Mr David Cagney, was published in summer 2023. In it they recommended an increase towards an optimum PhD stipend level of €25,000, subject to funding availability.
In Budget 2024, funding was secured to increase the PhD stipend offered by this Department's competitive research funding agency (formerly Science Foundation Ireland and the Irish Research Council: now Research Ireland), from €19,000 to €22,000 annually. Furthermore, as part of Budget 2025, I announced an additional €9 million package to raise Research Ireland's PhD stipends from €22,000 to €25,000 per annum.? This was part of a major capital and funding package for tertiary education to reduce the cost of education and tackle cost-of-living pressures.? This builds on the previous increases, demonstrating my Department's clear and consistent commitment to this issue.
Regarding the timeline for this increase, Research Ireland has confirmed to all higher education institutions that funds are available to uplift students to €25,000 per annum. Research Ireland has directly engaged with the finance offices in the institutions, who will be commencing payment to PhD students at the €25,000 level from January this year.
