Research and Development

171. Deputy Naoise Ó Cearúil asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science for an update on the expansion of the Tyndall National Institute and the Government’s investment in semiconductor research, artificial intelligence, high-performance computing and quantum technologies. [71707/26]

There is significant investment going into those areas at the moment. We have €2.5 billion committed in the national development plan towards the whole space of research and innovation, much of which is being farmed out through Research Ireland. Significant parts of it are through the universities themselves through the likes of the INSPIRE programme, and the Tyndall National Institute is very much a beneficiary of that. I will come back to Tyndall in a moment, but I want to mention the Rinn centres. Deputy Connolly is a better Gaeilgeoir than I am, but "Rinn" is the word for headland, point or even star; a place of future ambition and a journey's destination. The Rinn centres are now live and they include almost €500 million of funding for things like AI, quantum computers, semiconductors, medical devices, green energy and other areas. That is a very significant commitment in the research landscape in the areas that Deputy Connolly has asked about. Tyndall National Institute is underpinned by more than €100 million in Government funding that I secured at the Cabinet at the start of this year to commence the expansion of its operations in Cork. I have visited the institute on a number of occasions and we brought the European Commissioners there when they visited at the start of the summer. It is part of the European Chips Act output, involving the development of technology that is critical for Europe for all sorts of geopolitical reasons. Tyndall National Institute is now playing a part as a key strategic European site for semiconductor technologies. That work is under way, the contract has already started and completion is scheduled for quarter 4 of 2028. It is a very significant research endeavour that builds on the good work already done by the institute. Earlier in the year, I launched the Quantum 2030 implementation plan and I have a quantum committee up and running involving various providers. The Irish Centre for High-End Computing, ICHEC, is based in the University of Galway, which is in the Deputy's neck of the woods. He and I visited it to see the new supercomputing capacity.

I was going to mention that. I found the Minister's knowledge of this whole area fascinating the day we visited the supercomputer project at the University of Galway. I think it was very reassuring for the academics at the meeting that he had an awareness of such issues. I compliment him on that. I have a few questions specifically on Tyndall National Institute. Will the Minister provide an update on the current status and timeline for expansion? I think he mentioned 2028. I understand the Government funding that has been allocated to date is €100 million in total. Has some of that already been expended? What is the level of investment currently being directed towards semiconductor research, artificial intelligence, high-performance computing and quantum technologies? How will the expanded Tyndall campus strengthen Ireland's semiconductor and deep-tech research capabilities? What research, employment and economic benefits does the Minister see arising from its expansion?

I mentioned the quantum strategy and ICHEC. We are also now part of the AI antenna system. Working with other EU countries, we are gaining access to leading-edge AI hardware and software through European initiatives like the AI antenna and the AI gigafactory. In terms of Tyndall National Institute specifically, the plan is for the construction of a new 17,500 sq. m facility, which will probably double the institute's existing footprint in Cork. It is a start-of-the-art facility, which I have visited a number of times, and it is world-renowned to the extent that the world's leading universities, American, European and further afield, often ask the institute to assist with problem-solving and to take on challenges they have been unable to manage themselves. It really is a key part of our ambition to be a global beacon for semiconductor talent and technology. The talent is a vital part of that. The Deputy also asked about the economic benefits. The provision and availability of such talent will supercharge our economic activity as well.

That is reassuring to hear. It is an ambitious plan and to have it described as something that will supercharge our economic activity in this area is very welcome. Does the Minister have any sense of the numbers employed at Tyndall National Institute and the number of students there, and how those numbers might grow as part of the expansion?

The headcount will increase by 30% to 772 researchers. That will include 20 principal scientists joining the team, 40 new senior researchers and 200-plus PhD and master's students, who will, in turn, provide semiconductor technology training to 500-plus trainees. The institute is also expected to have at least ten new spin-outs, 30 companies in residence and more than 30 Irish companies involved as part of the scale-up and start-up funding. It really is serving its purpose as a catalyst for semiconductor quantum technologies in Ireland and Europe. The Commissioners were extremely impressed when they visited it. That was our intention - to highlight the institute as a flagship of European technology excellence, very much focusing on the economic dividend from it as well.