Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 7 November 2017
137. Deputy Thomas Byrne asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation the funding spent on the programme for research in third level institutions in each of the years 2002 to 2016 and to date in 2017; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [46655/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Programme for Research in Third-Level Institutions (PRTLI) was launched in 1998, with five cycles of expenditure to date. The Programme is designed to facilitate Ireland’s HEIs to produce world class research in key strategic areas such as bioscience/biomedical; medical technologies; energy, environment and marine; food and drink; social sciences and humanities; ICT and advanced communications and; platform technologies and materials.
PRTLI has supported the provision of top-class research infrastructure (buildings, laboratories and cutting edge equipment) as well as human capital development, through Structured PhD/Emergent Technology programmes across Ireland’s Higher Education Institutes (HEIs).
My Department took over responsibility for the PRTLI in May 2010, from the Department of Education and Skills. My Department is meeting the remaining liabilities from Cycle 5 of PRTLI. The funding allocation for 2017 is €14.4m. Capital projects are initially financed by the HEIs and the monies are then reclaimed from the Higher Education Authority which administers the PRTLI on behalf of my Department.
PRTLI Exchequer Payments 2002-2017
|
Year |
€ million |
|
2002 |
46.5 |
|
2003 |
27.8 |
|
2004 |
53.7 |
|
2005 |
78.3 |
|
2006 |
69.1 |
|
2007 |
71.6 |
|
2008 |
58.4 |
|
2009 |
94.4 |
|
2010 |
55.9 |
|
2011 |
55.8 |
|
2012 |
54.7 |
|
2013 |
42.8 |
|
2014 |
37.4 |
|
2015 |
49.8 |
|
2016 |
23.7 |
|
2017 |
13.9 |
|
Total |
833.8 |
The table contains the detail of the funding spent on the Programme for Research in Third-Level Institutions in each of the years 2002 to 2016 and to date in 2017. This table shows that over the period, an amount of €833.8 million was spent on PRTLI.
The funding announcements made in the context of Budget 2018 will allow the Government to start making new investments that will address objectives encompassed by previous cycles of PRTLI.
