Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 11 December 2025
222. Deputy Naoise Ó Muirí asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the investment that will be delivered under the INSPIRE Programme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [67785/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraI thank the Deputy for this important and timely question. I am delighted to advise the House that, on 26 November last, I launched the INSPIRE research infrastructure programme with my colleague Minister Chambers. This is a landmark moment for Ireland’s national research and innovation system.
It implements the Programme for Government commitment on this issue and the report of the expert Working Group that I established for this purpose earlier this year. To coincide with the launch, I published the Working Group’s report.
Their analysis and findings underpinned the proposal for a major research infrastructure investment programme that was a core component of my Department’s submission to the National Development Plan review this year. I secured an overall capital allocation of €4.55bn through that review process, €2.45bn of which I am allocating to research and innovation, reflecting the priority that I place on it as a driver of Ireland’s economic performance.
INSPIRE is a €750m research infrastructure investment package over the lifetime of the NDP. As well as support for Ireland’s High-Performance Computing capability and Tyndall National Institute, at least €500m will be invested in two funding streams: firstly, local institutional infrastructure, i.e. research equipment that is used routinely within a higher education institution for both teaching and research purposes and, secondly, shared advanced infrastructures, i.e. bigger-ticket equipment that is appropriately shared across a number of institutions and, critically, with external users. A central access portal will be built to maximise accessibility and utilisation.
The Programme will be implemented in two Phases, Phase Two building progressively and strategically on Phase One. It will be administered by the Higher Education Authority and Research Ireland, under the coordination of my Department. The process for applications from the higher education institutions will be opened by the agencies in the first quarter of next year.
