asked the Minister for Health if he will list the funds devoted to medical research in this country; if he will indicate their sources; how these funds are disbursed and generally administered; and the relationship between his Department, the Universities and the Medical Research Council in this matter.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Medical Research Funds.
42.
Grants are made available each year from the Hospitals Trust Fund, on my direction, to the Medical Research Council and to the Medico-Social Research Board for research purposes. For instance, a grant of £147,800 was paid to the Medical Research Council in respect of the year 1972 and £75,000 was paid to the Medico-Social Research Board in the financial year 1971-72. These grants are administered and disbursed by the two bodies concerned for approved research purposes.
The Medical Research Council also receives moneys for research work from certain other sources, including some private business firms, details of which are given in the council's published annual reports.
The chairman of the Medical Research Council is appointed by the Minister for Health and the other eight members are nominated by the universities, the medical teaching bodies and the Royal Academy of Medicine.
43.
asked the Minister for Health if he is aware of the need for larger sums of money to be made available for medical research in this country.
The amount of money that can be allocated to medical research in this country is of course limited by the total amount of funds available. The grants payable to the Medical Research Council from the Hospitals Trust Fund have been increased from year to year, as funds permitted, from £109,928 in respect of 1968 to £147,800 in respect of 1972. An application has very recently been received from the Medical Research Council for an increase in the amount of the grant payable. This application is being considered in my Department at present. I might add that the Medical Research Council have also received grants from some other sources, including some private business interests.
Apart from these grants to the Medical Research Council, grants were also paid from the Hospitals Trust Fund in recent years to the Medico-Social Research Board and the grants increased from £10,000 in 1968-69 to £75,000 in 1971-72.