Dáil Éireann debate -
Thursday, 6 Mar 1997

Vol. 476 No. 1

Written Answers. - Third Level Research Funding.

Trevor Sargent

Question:

98 Mr. Sargent asked the Minister for Enterprise and Employment the amount of funding for basic research in Irish universities which comes from abroad; the amount which comes from within the State; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6416/97]

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

The only detailed information which is available in relation to third-level research is the Forfás survey on R & D in the higher education sector.

Funds for research in the higher education sector come from a variety of sources. In 1994 — the latest year for which we have information — the following is the breakdown of funds:

	£ million
Direct Government sources (including Structural Funds)	19.0
Business sector	6.6
Irish private sources	2.4
HE sector's own funds	4.3
EU Research Programmes	19.0
Other foreign sources	3.9
Sub-total	55.2
Indirect Government funds imputed from the Higher Education Authority grant-in-aid calculated on the basis of the amount of time spent on research reported by academics	40.1
Total expenditure on higher education research	95.3

These moneys are spent on a wide range of R & D activities from basic research to experimental development. However, because of definitional problems and the increased blurring of lines between basic, strategic and applied forms of research, the compilation of data in the higher education colleges for funding received for research is not classified by type of research. However, the Forfás survey referred to above estimated that 20 per cent of all research in the third level sector could be classified as pure basic research.

In relation to my own Department's research schemes, the White Paper on Science, Technology and Innovation published at the end of last year underlined the importance of basic research in the national system of innovation.

According to the White Paper, there are persuasive arguments for maintaining basic research capability in the third-level sector. These include the need to be strong in the basic science areas of strategic national importance, such as the bio-sciences which are fundamental to health and to the food chain; maintaining internationally recognised standards in university education; ensuring that Irish colleges are attractive to the best Irish undergraduate and post-graduate students, thus retaining "high quality" people in Ireland; creation of a pool of skilled researchers as an essential basis for industrial and economic development; the strengthening of our capacity to participate in international contracts and to acquire new knowledge through international co-operation.

In the context of the foregoing, my Department's basic research grants scheme has been increased from £833,000 in 1994 to £2 million in 1996.