Written Answers Nos. 343-356
343. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the payments, benefits and other supports issued by his Department which Ukrainian refugees are entitled to. [19153/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraMy Department is providing accommodation to people fleeing Ukraine where requested. Over 11,000 people have been referred to the International Protection Accommodation Services (IPAS) for accommodation to date.
IPAS has contracted approximately 5,000 hotel rooms, with additional capacity also being pursued through hotels, guest houses and B&Bs, accommodation pledged by the general public, religious properties, and local authority facilities. In addition, arrangements are also in place with Airbnb to use some of their accommodation.
To date a total of 20,719 offers have been pledged through the Irish Red Cross. Of these pledges, 4,899 are for independent units and 15,820 are for independent, shared accommodation. Work is on-going to draw down these pledges.
Local authorities are providing information on potential accommodation in their local areas and assisting with the provision of emergency accommodation. My Department is working closely with local authorities to ensure that people in emergency accommodation are moved to other accommodation as soon as possible.
344. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if defibrillators are installed in all offices and buildings accessible by the public in his Department and public bodies and agencies that operate under his remit; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19165/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraI can inform the Deputy that my Department operates from 2 offices:
1. Miesian Plaza. 50-58 Baggot Street Lower, Dublin 2. D02 XWI4
2. Montague Court. 7/11 Montague Court, Montague Street, Dublin.
These offices are not open to the public for the purpose of accessing services. However, I can confirm that my Department has a defibrillator located on each of the floors that it occupies in Miesian Plaza (Floor 2 and Floor 3). There is a defibrillator located on the Ground Floor of Montague Court.
In respect of bodies under the aegis of my Department, I can advise the Deputy as follows:
|
Body/Agency |
Response |
|
National Disability Authority |
The NDA will reply directly to the Deputy |
|
Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission (IHREC) |
The IHREC will reply directly to the Deputy. |
|
Child and Family Agency (Tusla) |
Tusla will reply directly to the Deputy |
|
Adoption Authority of Ireland (AAI) |
The AAI is not a public office however they do have members of the public attend the premises for pre-arranged meetings. They can confirm that they do have a defibrillator on site, should it be required by a member of the public. |
|
Oberstown Children Detention Campus |
Oberstown Campus has 4 defibrillators installed on campus |
|
Ombudsman for Children's Office (OCO) |
The OCO will reply directly to the Deputy |
345. Deputy Ged Nash asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the total value of consultancy contracts awarded to an organisation (details supplied) for work with his Department and bodies under auspices of his Department in each of the years 2017 to 2021, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19184/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraMy department does not have records of any contracts with the company supplied during 2017 to 2021. This also applies to the Adoption Authority of Ireland.
I have forwarded this question to all other agencies under the aegis of the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration & Youth. They will respond to you directly in due course.
346. Deputy Patricia Ryan asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the progress being made on the European Research Area regarding gender equality; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18940/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraEnsuring gender equality is a core EU value and one of Europe's main research and innovation priorities. While progress has been made in recent years, significant challenges remain. As highlighted by recent European reviews, gender inequalities persist in research and innovation systems across Europe and there is a gap between the adoption of policies and strategies at EU and national level and their implementation at institutional level.
The new European Research Area policy framework, which was adopted by EU Research and Innovation Ministers in November 2021, reaffirms Member States’ commitment to promote and support gender equality and foster inclusiveness. It prioritises the implementation of the actions identified in the 2021 Ljubljana Declaration on Gender Equality in Research and Innovation, which was endorsed by a large majority of Member States – including Ireland.
Ireland has made significant progress in recent years and is often cited as an example of best practice in European discussions. As part of the Irish gender equality framework in higher education, the Higher Education Authority's Centre of Excellence for Gender Equality was established in June 2019, evolving into the Centre of Excellence for Equality, Diversity and Inclusion in August 2020. Among our main research and innovation related actions is a requirement to promote gender equality to access research funding. Only higher education institutions that have at least an Athena SWAN bronze institutional award can apply for funding from Ireland’s main research funders.
I am committed to working with my European counterparts to ensure a renewed focus on progressing gender equality related issues at European and national level.
347. Deputy Patricia Ryan asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the budget that is available in the pursuit of gender equality for postgraduates and researcher postgraduate students; the way in which it is being allocated; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18941/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraIn 2022, my Department’s budget for Research, Innovation and Science is €255m. This represents 8.5% of my Department’s voted allocation for 2022. HEIs also fund R&I from their block allocations, but have autonomy in how that funding is applied.
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 this regard, I was pleased to be able to allocate additional funding to the IRC in 2021 to enable it to increase postgraduate scholarships 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 the IRC and SFI.
Officials in my Department have been undertaking am examination of the issues in relation to academic support activities of PhD students. This has been done in collaboration with the Irish Universities Association and Technological Higher Education Association and the National Advisory Forum for Ireland’s Framework for Doctoral Education.
This work includes looking at international practice and gathering information on the institutions’ expectations of PhD students to undertake academic support activities across the higher education system.
Building on this initial work, I wrote to the Presidents of the HEIs requesting that they undertake a sectoral exercise to agree a set of high-level principles to which all institutions can work towards. As part of this I am proposing that they undertake a gap analysis to determine the next steps in progressing towards greater consistency and transparency in arrangements for postgraduate researchers, in advance of the next academic year. I have also written to the sector’s representative bodies, the IUA and THEA, requesting that they work in close partnership to ensure that the pathways scoped out allow for convergence of approaches across the entire higher education sector.
I will be seeking regular updates on progress with this work at meetings of the National Advisory Forum for Ireland’s Framework for Doctoral Education.
Specifically, the Irish Research Council (IRC) does not implement means-testing for Irish Research Council PhD scholarships. Postgraduate scholarships are allocated solely on the basis of the quality of the research proposal as determined by independent international peer review. All successful applicants who meet the terms and conditions of the scheme are awarded a stipend of €18,500 per year, up to a maximum of four years. Students in receipt of a stipend can also apply for SUSI grant support.
The IRC has taken specific measures this year to enhance the support it provides to researchers of any career stage who are parents or carers. The IRC published a new policy in this regard effective 1 November 2021 which gives postgraduate awardees the entitlement to continuity of the stipend for approved periods of leave for purposes of maternity, paternity or the adoption of a child. This policy introduces a new and important level of support for early-career researchers that become parents, including lone parents.
348. Deputy Patricia Ryan asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the progress being made with Ireland’s commitment to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development on sustainable development goal, SDG, 4.5 to ensure gender disparities are eliminated and there is equal access to all levels of education; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18942/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraI thank the Deputy for this question as it affords me an opportunity to update her on the progress made under Sustainable Development Goal 4.5 by my department.
Sustainable Development Goal 4.5 seeks to eliminate gender disparities in education and to ensure equal access for vulnerable members of society. Since its inception, my department has been active in progressing this agenda. Inclusion is one of the core strategic goals for my Department, and my ambition is to ensure that we provide supports and opportunities for learning to all. This means recognising the needs of vulnerable learners, people who are most marginalised and people with special and additional needs.
The Action Plan for Apprenticeship 2021 – 2025 was launched in April 2021. The plan includes a target of 10,000 new apprentice registrations per annum across the further and higher education sectors by 2025. One of the five unambiguous objectives in this plan is ‘Apprenticeship for all’, meaning that the profile of the apprenticeship population will more closely reflect the profile of the general population.
On March 24, I launched the National Apprenticeship Alliance. The Alliance will have an advisory role in relation to the development of the apprenticeship system and will oversee and sanction the development of new apprenticeships over the coming years. There are plans to establish an equity of access subgroup of the National Apprenticeship Alliance which will look at addressing underrepresentation on apprenticeships from groups such as: socio economically disadvantaged, Travellers and Roma, migrants, persons with disabilities and women.
The 10-year Adult Literacy, Numeracy and Digital Literacy Strategy for Ireland was launched on the 8 September 2021 to mark/coincide with the International Literacy Day. Work has commenced on implementation with initial activity focussing on the set up of the Adult Literacy for Life Programme Office to coordinate implementation activities. A National Awareness campaign is underway, and a new website has been launched (www.adultliteracyforlife.ie) which will act as central repository for literacy, numeracy, and digital skills resources with contact points available for services across the country. I secured funding of €3m in Budget 2022 which will enable the establishment of the necessary partnership structures, such as the Adult Literacy for Life National Programme Office and a network of Regional Literacy Coordinators.
Work on the development of the new National Access Plan is at an advanced stage. Following an extensive consultation process, over 122 submissions were received and reviewed from a wide range of stakeholders.
The National Access Plan seeks to target vulnerable students or students who have experienced disadvantage and therefore face challenges in accessing higher education and experience belonging in higher education. The consultation process highlighted the importance of recognising and naming additional ‘priority groups’ in the NAP. I can say that all submissions received have been carefully considered in the development of the National Access Plan. I hope to publish the new plan in the coming months.
The promotion of gender equality in education is an area that I have prioritised. On 8 March 2021, I launched the National Gender Equality Dashboard for Higher Education Institutions. Based on published Higher Education Institutional Staff Profiles by Gender from the HEA. This dashboard developed by Maynooth University provides an interactive and comparative visualisation of key staff data and gender profile, from Irish higher education institutions (HEIs). The National Gender Equality Dashboard for HEIs , which will be updated annually, offers a valuable baseline (2017-2019), from which progress on gender equality can be visualized and measured across all grades of staff in the Universities, Colleges, and Institutes of Technology.
On 15 March 2022 I announced the second National Review of Gender Equality, which is being carried out by an expert group, on behalf of the Higher Education Authority (HEA). This review will assess progress since the first review of its kind in 2016 and make recommendations to ensure that gender equality is amplified in higher education institutions (HEIs) as they move into the future. The expert group is expected to make five to ten high-level recommendations as to how, in their view, higher education institutions might enhance their equality policies and their implementation to support gender equality. I expect to be in a position to publish this report towards the end of 2022.
In addition to the submission of progress updates, the Governing Authority of each HEI must submit a statement to the HEA confirming that the Institution has an action plan in place and that this action plan is being implemented as part of its Annual Governance Statements. All HEIs are required to submit an Annual Governance Statement and Statement of Internal Control to the HEA, covering a comprehensive list of governance requirements, with non-compliance in any matter to be identified within the statement.
Progress is continuing on the range of indicators included in the Gender Action Plan:
- All HEIs have institutional gender action plans and submit annual progress updates to the HEA.
- The HEA continues to publish the Higher Education Institutional Staff Profiles by Gender on an annual basis.
- New and additional gender-specific posts - the Senior Academic Leadership Initiative was launched in 2019. To date, 20 posts at senior academic level were awarded to Irish HEIs under the first cycle of the initiative and 10 posts were awarded under the second cycle of the initiative.
- Attainment of Athena SWAN awards is linked to eligibility for research funding from the Environmental Protection Agency, Health Research Board, Irish Research Council, and Science Foundation Ireland. 15 additional awards were announced on March 31. This brings the total number of awards up to 98; 20 HEIs have achieved a Bronze award and 78 departmental awards have been made to date.
The HEA has awarded funding of over €500k under the Gender Equality Enhancement Fund in 2020/21 to advance gender equality initiatives in Irish higher education. Awards were made across three areas regarding: research on or advancing gender quality initiatives in Ireland; training programmes specifically addressing gender equality; and Athena SWAN capacity-building activities.
Projects were funded across several areas including the promotion of female role models in the physical sciences, technology, engineering and mathematics (pSTEM), development and implementation of gender identity, expression and diversity training for staff in Irish HEIs, establishment of networks to support female participation in computer science, resources to support the academic advancement of mid-career female staff, provision of gender equality-based leadership training to future leaders, development of resources to assist departments in modelling gender-disaggregated data against national trends, embedding equality, diversity and inclusion into the curriculum, teaching and learning and teacher education, an investigation of how gender stereotypes contribute to gender inequality, support for the increased visibility and participation of women economists in public discourse, and research into the impact of menopause on the careers of women in Irish higher education.
349. Deputy Patricia Ryan asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the budget that is available for postgraduates and researcher postgraduate students; the way in which it is being allocated; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18943/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe information is being collated by my Department and will be provided to the Deputy as soon as it is available.
350. Deputy Michael Lowry asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if his attention has been drawn to the case of a County Tipperary student who was studying dentistry in Ukraine (details supplied) and is now seeking to continue their education to a become dentist at an Irish university; the assistance that will be provided to this student to allow study at the appropriate university here in Ireland; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18945/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraI can confirm my Department has received correspondence from the person detailed and my officials have already been in contact with them regarding continuing their studies in Ireland.
Since the start of the war in Ukraine, my Department has received a very large volume of enquiries, from Irish students who were studying in Ukraine, from Ukrainian and students from third countries studying in Ukraine, and from those making representations of their behalf. My officials are dealing with this correspondence as it comes into the Department and are actively engaging with these students, updating them as recently as last week as soon as further information on progress becomes available.
Recently, officials from my Department met with the Deans of the Medical Schools and as a result, the Deans are now undertaking an assessment of the programmes in the medical schools in Ukraine. A key element of this process will be to align the Irish students’ Ukrainian programme with the Irish system of medical and dentistry education, along with other issues arising regarding accreditation by the professional bodies. This exercise will then enable us to see how best we can facilitate these students in continuing with their studies in Ireland.
As recently advised by my officials, this process may take up to two weeks, and at that stage, all persons will be contacted.
351. Deputy James Lawless asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if she will address the large backlog on the waiting list for SOLAS; the steps that are being taken to alleviate this backlog; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18969/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe waiting list for craft apprenticeship off-the-job training has resulted from the adverse impact of COVID public health restrictions on the operation of the education and training sector.
In responding to these restrictions it has been a priority to seek to facilitate, whenever possible, access to onsite teaching and learning for essential skills-based activities such as apprenticeship.
A detailed and comprehensive emergency plan to tackle the apprentice waiting lists has been underway across further and higher education since August 2021 when some training facilities started to reopen. At that point 11,859 apprentices were delayed in their training.
A €20m additional capital investment has provided a large increase in workshops and equipment in every training location in the country. A further €17m was provided under Budget 2022 to further facilitate SOLAS and the HEA’s response, including a significant recruitment campaign to increase the number of trainers.
More than 8,400 apprentices, or over 70% of those who were delayed in their training by COVID, have now progressed in their off-the-job phases. This includes over 700 final year apprentices who have been fast-tracked to complete their qualification. There has been an increase of over 50% in the number of training places available, via additional workshops and 100+ additional staff.
The number of craft apprentices waiting as of the week beginning 28/03/2022 was 8,134.
My Department, SOLAS, and other apprenticeship partners are continuing to work actively on further measures to ensure that waiting times are resolved as speedily as possible, enabling apprentices to progress through their apprenticeship as quickly as is feasible.
352. Deputy Ivana Bacik asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science his views on the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development on sustainable development goal, SDG, 4.5, as it relates to his Department's work. [18975/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraI thank the Deputy for this question as it affords me an opportunity to update her on the progress made under Sustainable Development Goal 4.5 by my department.
The Deputy will be aware that Sustainable Development Goal 4.5 seeks to eliminate gender disparities in education and to ensure equal access for vulnerable members of society. Since its inception, my department has been active in progressing this agenda. Inclusion is one of the core strategic goals for my Department, and my ambition is to ensure that we provide supports and opportunities for learning to all. This means recognising the needs of vulnerable learners, people who are most marginalised and people with special and additional needs.
The Action Plan for Apprenticeship 2021 – 2025 was launched in April 2021. The plan includes a target of 10,000 new apprentice registrations per annum across the further and higher education sectors by 2025. One of the five unambiguous objectives in this plan is ‘Apprenticeship for all’, meaning that the profile of the apprenticeship population will more closely reflect the profile of the general population.
On March 24, I launched the National Apprenticeship Alliance. The Alliance will have an advisory role in relation to the development of the apprenticeship system and will oversee and sanction the development of new apprenticeships over the coming years. There are plans to establish an equity of access subgroup of the National Apprenticeship Alliance which will look at addressing underrepresentation on apprenticeships from groups such as: socio economically disadvantaged, Travellers and Roma, migrants, persons with disabilities and women.
The 10-year Adult Literacy, Numeracy and Digital Literacy Strategy for Ireland was launched on the 8 September 2021 to mark/coincide with the International Literacy Day. Work has commenced on implementation with initial activity focussing on the set up of the Adult Literacy for Life Programme Office to coordinate implementation activities. A National Awareness campaign is underway, and a new website has been launched (www.adultliteracyforlife.ie) which will act as central repository for literacy, numeracy, and digital skills resources with contact points available for services across the country. I secured funding of €3m in Budget 2022 which will enable the establishment of the necessary partnership structures, such as the Adult Literacy for Life National Programme Office and a network of Regional Literacy Coordinators.
Work on the development of the new National Access Plan is at an advanced stage. Following an extensive consultation process, over 122 submissions were received and reviewed from a wide range of stakeholders.
The National Access Plan seeks to target vulnerable students or students who have experienced disadvantage and therefore face challenges in accessing higher education and experience belonging in higher education. The consultation process highlighted the importance of recognising and naming additional ‘priority groups’ in the NAP. I can say that all submissions received have been carefully considered in the development of the National Access Plan. I hope to publish the new plan in the coming months.
The promotion of gender equality in education is an area that I have prioritised. On 8 March 2021, I launched the National Gender Equality Dashboard for Higher Education Institutions. Based on published Higher Education Institutional Staff Profiles by Gender from the HEA. This dashboard developed by Maynooth University provides an interactive and comparative visualisation of key staff data and gender profile, from Irish higher education institutions (HEIs). The National Gender Equality Dashboard for HEIs , which will be updated annually, offers a valuable baseline (2017-2019), from which progress on gender equality can be visualized and measured across all grades of staff in the Universities, Colleges, and Institutes of Technology.
On 15 March 2022 I announced the second National Review of Gender Equality, which is being carried out by an expert group, on behalf of the Higher Education Authority (HEA). This review will assess progress since the first review of its kind in 2016 and make recommendations to ensure that gender equality is amplified in higher education institutions (HEIs) as they move into the future. The expert group is expected to make five to ten high-level recommendations as to how, in their view, higher education institutions might enhance their equality policies and their implementation to support gender equality. I expect to be in a position to publish this report towards the end of 2022.
In addition to the submission of progress updates, the Governing Authority of each HEI must submit a statement to the HEA confirming that the Institution has an action plan in place and that this action plan is being implemented as part of its Annual Governance Statements. All HEIs are required to submit an Annual Governance Statement and Statement of Internal Control to the HEA, covering a comprehensive list of governance requirements, with non-compliance in any matter to be identified within the statement.
Progress is continuing on the range of indicators included in the Gender Action Plan:
-All HEIs have institutional gender action plans and submit annual progress updates to the HEA.
-The HEA continues to publish the Higher Education Institutional Staff Profiles by Gender on an annual basis.
-New and additional gender-specific posts - the Senior Academic Leadership Initiative was launched in 2019. To date, 20 posts at senior academic level were awarded to Irish HEIs under the first cycle of the initiative and 10 posts were awarded under the second cycle of the initiative.
- Attainment of Athena SWAN awards is linked to eligibility for research funding from the Environmental Protection Agency, Health Research Board, Irish Research Council, and Science Foundation Ireland. 15 additional awards were announced on March 31. This brings the total number of awards up to 98; 20 HEIs have achieved a Bronze award and 78 departmental awards have been made to date.
The HEA has awarded funding of over €500k under the Gender Equality Enhancement Fund in 2020/21 to advance gender equality initiatives in Irish higher education. Awards were made across three areas regarding: research on or advancing gender quality initiatives in Ireland; training programmes specifically addressing gender equality; and Athena SWAN capacity-building activities.
Projects were funded across several areas including the promotion of female role models in the physical sciences, technology, engineering and mathematics (pSTEM), development and implementation of gender identity, expression and diversity training for staff in Irish HEIs, establishment of networks to support female participation in computer science, resources to support the academic advancement of mid-career female staff, provision of gender equality-based leadership training to future leaders, development of resources to assist departments in modelling gender-disaggregated data against national trends, embedding equality, diversity and inclusion into the curriculum, teaching and learning and teacher education, an investigation of how gender stereotypes contribute to gender inequality, support for the increased visibility and participation of women economists in public discourse, and research into the impact of menopause on the careers of women in Irish higher education.
353. Deputy Ivana Bacik asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the portion of his Department’s budget that has been allocated to the pursuit of gender equality for postgraduate research students regarding maternity cover; and the way that it is being allocated. [18976/22]
Amharc ar fhreagra354. Deputy Ivana Bacik asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the portion of his Department’s budget that has been allocated for the pursuit of gender equality for postgraduate research students regarding paternity cover; and the way that it is being allocated. [18977/22]
Amharc ar fhreagra355. Deputy Ivana Bacik asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the portion of his Department’s budget that has been allocated for the pursuit of gender equality for postgraduate research students regarding family cover; and if so, the way it is being allocated. [18978/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 353, 354 and 355, inclusive, together.
In 2022, my Department’s budget for Research, Innovation and Science is €255m. This represents 8.5% of my Department’s voted allocation for 2022. HEIs also fund R&I from their block allocations, but have autonomy in how that funding is applied.
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 this regard, I was pleased to be able to allocate additional funding to the IRC in 2021 to enable it to increase postgraduate scholarships 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 the IRC and SFI.
Officials in my Department have been undertaking am examination of the issues in relation to academic support activities of PhD students. This has been done in collaboration with the Irish Universities Association and Technological Higher Education Association and the National Advisory Forum for Ireland’s Framework for Doctoral Education.
This work includes looking at international practice and gathering information on the institutions’ expectations of PhD students to undertake academic support activities across the higher education system.
Building on this initial work, I wrote to the Presidents of the HEIs requesting that they undertake a sectoral exercise to agree a set of high-level principles to which all institutions can work towards. As part of this I am proposing that they undertake a gap analysis to determine the next steps in progressing towards greater consistency and transparency in arrangements for postgraduate researchers, in advance of the next academic year. I have also written to the sector’s representative bodies, the IUA and THEA, requesting that they work in close partnership to ensure that the pathways scoped out allow for convergence of approaches across the entire higher education sector.
I will be seeking regular updates on progress with this work at meetings of the National Advisory Forum for Ireland’s Framework for Doctoral Education.
Specifically, the Irish Research Council (IRC) does not implement means-testing for Irish Research Council PhD scholarships. Postgraduate scholarships are allocated solely on the basis of the quality of the research proposal as determined by independent international peer review. All successful applicants who meet the terms and conditions of the scheme are awarded a stipend of €18,500 per year, up to a maximum of four years. Students in receipt of a stipend can also apply for SUSI grant support.
The IRC has taken specific measures this year to enhance the support it provides to researchers of any career stage who are parents or carers. The IRC published a new policy in this regard effective 1 November 2021 which gives postgraduate awardees the entitlement to continuity of the stipend for approved periods of leave for purposes of maternity, paternity or the adoption of a child. This policy introduces a new and important level of support for early-career researchers that become parents, including lone parents.
356. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if an appeal by a person (details supplied) will be allowed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18982/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe main support available to students is the statutory based Student Grant Scheme where students are studying for the first time or are progressing to study at a higher level. The decision on eligibility for a student grant is a matter, in the first instance, for the centralised student grant awarding authority SUSI (Student Universal Support Ireland) to determine.
Assessment of means under the Student Grant Scheme 2022 is based on gross income from all sources, of the applicant and his parents or partner. No deduction is given for outgoings with the exception of pension contributions, legally enforceable maintenance payments and employment related expenses as approved by Revenue.
With regard to this specific application, I have been advised by my officials that the student to whom you refer has recently appealed to the Appeals Officer to SUSI. The appeal was considered and the determination of that appeal was communicated to the student directly on 4th April.
Where an individual applicant has had an appeal turned down in writing by an appeals officer in SUSI and remains of the view that the scheme has not been interpreted correctly in his/her case, an appeal may be submitted to the independent Student Grants Appeals Board within the required timeframe (i.e. not later than 30 days after the notification of the determination of the appeals officer to the applicant). Such appeals can be made by the appellant on line via www.studentgrantappeals.ie.
Apart from the Student Grant Scheme, students in third-level institutions experiencing exceptional financial need can apply for support under the Student Assistance Fund. This Fund assists students, in a sensitive and compassionate manner, who might otherwise be unable to continue their third level studies due to their financial circumstances. Details of this fund are available from the Access Office in the third level institution attended. This fund is administered on a confidential, discretionary basis.
