Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 8 July 2025
145. Deputy Eoghan Kenny asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the engagement he and his Department have had with stakeholders regarding pay rates for PhD researchers students, as of July 2025; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37314/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraIn October 2022, an independent review of PhD provision was announced, the first time that a review of this nature had been undertaken. The independent Co-Chairs undertook a very comprehensive consultation process, meeting with more than 35 stakeholder organisations to understand their perspectives and to explore key themes with them. This included stakeholder meetings with the higher education institutions, trade unions, public funders, enterprise representative bodies and others.
The consultation process was also deliberately structured so that PhD students had a direct opportunity to share their experiences and the impacts of funders and institutional approaches to PhD supports. This included an all-day in-person workshop on 8 March 2023 with the student organisations. In addition, an online consultation process was held from 24 February until 13 March, 2023. Over 750 written submissions were received and extracts from them, as well as key messages arising from the meetings held, were synthesised.
The Co-Chairs’ deliberations on these consultations, coupled with extensive desk research, including a review of international practice, underpinned their analysis and findings. Their first review report was published in June 2023. Included in their report are stakeholder perspectives on the issues covered in the report.
On 1 October 2024, additional funding was announced for Research Ireland in order to increase its PhD stipend level to €25,000, i.e. an increase of over 31% in two years. This announcement builds on the increases secured under preceding Budgets and implements the recommendation of the independent Co-Chairs for an optimum stipend level of €25,000, subject to funding availability. It has come into effect from 1 January 2025.
