Dáil Éireann debate -
Wednesday, 26 Jun 1996

Vol. 467 No. 5

Written Answers. - Workplace Technology.

Robert Molloy

Question:

27 Mr. Molloy asked the Minister for Enterprise and Employment his views on a recent statement by the Director of the National Micro-Electronics Research Centre that Ireland risks being swept aside unless new technology is embraced and developed in the Irish workplace. [13663/96]

Minister for Enterprise and Employment (Mr. R. Bruton)

The statement in question was made by the Director of the NMRC at the launch of the centre's annual report for 1995.

All responsible commentators have been saying for some time that technological innovation underpins international competitiveness and that we must re-double our efforts to better exploit and harness knowledge for the betterment of society in general and industry and services in particular.

The message is not new. It comes across in the Culliton report, in the STIAC report and as recently as the Forfás report Sharing our Future which says that our success as a country in the coming decades will depend on our ability to adapt to a variety of high skills and specialised knowledge.

The task of upgrading the technological competence in Irish industry is something that spans the entire industrial and scientific policy area. The responses to this challenge range from: (i) generating greater collaboration between universities, research institutes and industry to (ii) promoting greater participation by Irish companies, particularly SMEs, in the research programmes of the European Community to (iii) creating greater linkages between technologically advanced companies in Ireland and smaller sub-supply companies to (iv) creating a more positive attitude towards issues relating to Science and Technology.

The STIAC report addresses the whole issue of science, technology and innovation in a comprehensive way and has made a series of recommendations. Provision was made in the 1996 budget for an extra £4 million to start the process of implementing these recommendations. Of this £250,000 has been allocated for a dedicated, professionally-managed awareness campaign intended to improve the perception of science, technology and innovation in the media, among the public and among opinion makers. A three year programme is being finalised by Forfás with the intention of augmenting the ongoing awareness activities carried out by various agencies, both in the public and private sector.

A draft public response to the STIAC report is at an advanced stage of preparation and will be issued in the near future after clearance by Government.