My Department’s allocation to the Programme for Research in third Level Institutions (PRTLI) in 2016 was €30.4m; this included a Supplementary Estimate of €20m in December 2016. The allocation in 2017 is €14.4m.
The PRTLI allocation is being used to pay off an outstanding bill for PRTLI Cycle 5. Cumulatively, the HEIs have yet to spend their full Exchequer allocations. The majority of projects are progressing well at this stage and should reach completion by the middle of this year (some building projects have already been delivered but final expenditure declarations have yet to made). As with previous cycles, there is a long lead time expected before both the total spend and the administrative obligations are finalised. As the outstanding bill to HEIs has been reducing, the allocation to Cycle 5 in my Department’s Vote has reduced also.
The planning and design of a successor to Cycle 5 of PRTLI is an action in Innovation 2020 and is being progressed by my Department working closely with the Department of Education and Skills. My Department is currently preparing a proposal to seek funding for a successor to Cycle 5 of the PRTLI in the context of the Mid-term Review of the Capital Plan. There will be more clarity on a successor to Cycle 5 when this review is concluded, and the funding envelope for this and other projects is finalised.
