Third Level Costs

Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 29 March 2022

Tuesday, 29 March 2022

Ceisteanna (520)

Paul Murphy

Ceist:

520. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if his attention has been drawn to the inequality which exists in the funding of PhDs with a large number having to self- fund while many others must find funding bodies getting approval on detailed proposals; if he will instruct his Department to increase the stipend received by PhD students across the country given the increased cost of living which has outpaced a PhD stipend which has not changed since approximately 2003 (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16108/22]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science

My Department provides funding for postgraduate research through both Science Foundation Ireland (SFI) and the Irish Research Council (IRC). Funding is also provided by other statutory funders and, of course, private funders. Stipends are typically a feature of such funding globally, providing an income to the awardee in recognition of the need to devote themselves on a full-time basis to their research.

My Department is monitoring the issue of stipends, in the context of the resources available to my Department and the competing needs to which they can be allocated. In that regards, I was pleased to be able to allocate additional funding to the IRC in 2021 to enable it to increase postgraduate scholarship by €2,500 per annum, or 16%. This was made effective from 1 January 2021 and, together with an increase to funding for postdoctoral salaries, benefited close to 1,300 early-career researchers in the system. The move also aligned the stipend level for both agencies within my Department, i.e. the IRC and SFI.