David Cullinane
Ceist:1857. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health the breakdown of the additional funding allocated in budget 2021 to the Health Research Board; and the way in which it was spent. [35657/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraTuesday, 27 July 2021
Ceisteanna (1857)
Freagraí scríofa
The Health Research Board (HRB) is the State Agency under the Department of Health that supports and funds health and social care research and provides evidence to inform policy and practice. During 2021 the HRB published its new 2021-2025 strategy with the vision of “Better health through excellent research, data and evidence.”
Budget 2021 provided a core allocation (net non-capital expenditure allocation) for the HRB of €34.954m for 2021. This is an increase on 2020 of €0.55m. This funding will support initiatives, under the direction of the HRB Board, aligned with the strategic objectives and key actions set out in the HRB Strategy (2021-2025).
In addition, a further €7.26m is provided for non-core funding under Budget 2021, an increase of over €1m. Within this the actual composition of spend will change from year to year, with some projects finishing and new projects being added. As a result, the net change in the 2021 non-core allocation is less than the total allocations approved for new initiatives, or increases to existing initiatives.
Allocations approved for new initiatives or increases to existing initiatives in non-core allocations include:
- An extra €2m funding to support dedicated Covid-19-related research, a priority is to complete an application and peer review process to establish and maintain a National Covid-19 biobank in line with best international standards and practice.
- An extra €0.8m to support legislative requirements. This includes (a) an extra €0.75m to advance the urgent work programme of Office for National Research Ethics Committees in 2021, in particular the establishment of National Research Ethics Committees to ensure compliance for the ethical review of proposals falling under the Clinical Trials Directive of Medicinal Products and the Medical Devices Directive, and (b) an extra €0.35m to support the costs of the Health Research Consent Declaration Committee.
- An extra €0.06m to support the conduct of a follow-on survey on the impact of Covid-19 in people with intellectual disability (under the Intellectual Disability Supplement to TILDA IDS-TILDA).
Budget 2021 also allowed for the funding of €0.6m in support of the 2020 Government decision for Ireland’s participation in the WHO SOLIDARITY Trial of Covid-19 treatments. This reflected the cost of participation up until end March 2021 and built on previous funding provided by the Department in 2020 of €1.4m.