Vol. 491 No. 6
316 Mrs. Owen asked the Minister for Education and Science if the £5 million allocation in his Department for science and technology is additional money for that area or is it partly funded by a reduction of money allocated in the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment to the National Research Support Board; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13044/98]
In 1998, for the first time the Government has provided substantial dedicated funding for the funding of research and development through the Department of Education and Science. The new allocation of £5 million has been included in the 1998 estimates for the Department of Education and Science for recurrent funding of research and development projects. It is envisaged that the funding will be available for research and development in the humanities, the social sciences and science and technology.
On Tuesday 26 May, the Minister of State with responsibility for science and technology, Deputy Treacy, announced arrangements for the programme of scientific and technological research in third level institutions.
This funding is entirely additional to the existing sources of funding for research and development, including the various teaching and research budgets of the higher education institutions, including various schemes, administered by, or on behalf of, the Office for Science and Technology.
