New funding for research equipment in higher education sector overdue – Senator Malcolm Byrne

Fianna Fáil Senator and Seanad Spokesperson for Higher Education, Innovation and Science, Malcolm Byrne, has said the new funding of €15 million for world-class research equipment across the higher education sector announced today is hugely welcome but also long overdue. 

Senator Byrne welcomed the funding but also highlighted that approximately half of research equipment in Irish universities is over ten years old and a third is over 15 years old. 

He said: “Investment in new research equipment is something that I have been consistently calling for. The €15 million announced today for world-class equipment for researchers across the higher education sector is welcome news, even if it is long overdue.  

“The Irish Universities Association carried out an audit of research equipment last year in its member universities and found that 30% of the equipment being used by researchers was more than 15 years old and 52% of the research equipment was more than 10 years old. These pieces of equipment are the necessary tools that researchers need to carry out their world-leading work in our universities. 

“It is not acceptable that our best researchers have had to work with such old equipment for so long, so the importance of this investment in new equipment cannot be understated. Our ambition must be to have the best higher education system in the world, with world-class researchers, who require world-class equipment. 

“We must continue to invest in Ireland’s research talent to ensure we do not just maximise our research and innovation capabilities today, but also ensure that those capabilities are expanded upon into the future.” 

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