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 2017 PRTLI allocation is being used to address the existing liabilities under PRTLI Cycle 5. There were 33 projects funded under Cycle 5, of these 29 are now complete and the remaining 4 are expected to reach completion by the middle of this year with final reports and expenditure declarations expected before year end. As with previous cycles, there is a long lead time before the total spend and the administrative obligations are finalised. The priority for my Department's PRTLI allocation is to address existing liabilities in respect of Cycle 5.
I am conscious of the impact that Government investment, including through PRLTI, has in enabling the HEIs to attract other sources of funding, particularly in the case of capital infrastructure projects. PRTLI-funded infrastructure and consortia have been a key attractor of matching funds from private (non-exchequer) sources. Over the course of the five Cycles to date PRTLI projects have attracted over €277m in co-funding. I am keen to ensure that any successor to PRTLI Cycle 5 will also facilitate the HEIs to continue to leverage investment from other sources.
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 has included a proposal to commence funding for a successor to Cycle 5 of the PRTLI in its submission to 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.
