Dáil Éireann debate -
Thursday, 29 Jun 2000

Vol. 522 No. 4

Written Answers. - Research Funding.

Richard Bruton

Question:

73 Mr. R. Bruton asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the total spending in 1998 and 1999 by her Department, or agencies funded by it, on grants, fellowships or bursaries for individual research projects in third level institutions. [19065/00]

Tanaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment (Ms Harney)

Enterprise Ireland operates a range of research programmes and scholarships on behalf of the office of science and technology in the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment. These activities provide support for postgraduate researchers either as part of a project or as a stipend to allow them to complete masters or doctorate degrees by research.

The funding provided for the years 1998 and 1999 is outlined in the following table:

Enterprise Ireland – Measure 4 1999

	Expenditure – IR£
Postgraduate – PhDs	760,917
Scientific Research	3,301,393
S&T against Drugs	50,753
Strategic Research	2,423,479
Postgraduate MScs	180,000
Applied Research Universities	1,389,271
Applied Research Regional Technical Colleges	848,951
Postdoctoral Fellowships	206,434
Total	IR£9,161,198

Combined E.I & Forbairt. – Measure 4 1998

	Expenditure – IR£
Postgraduate – PhDs	813,754
Scientific Research	3,166,317
S&T against Drugs	139,461
Strategic Research	1,980,756
Postgraduate MScs	196,000
Applied Research Universities	1,305,435
Applied Research Regional Technical Colleges	1,177,680
Postdoctoral Fellowships	204,718
Total	IR£8,984,121

Richard Bruton

Question:

74 Mr. R. Bruton asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the total number of postgraduate students in research projects of postgraduate studentships and of post-doctoral fellowships funded by his Department in each of the years 1998 and 1999. [19067/00]

Minister of State at the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment (Mr. Treacy)

Enterprise Ireland administers a number of support programmes for post-graduate students on behalf of the office of science and technology in the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment. The following table provides details of postgraduate students in directly funded research projects in 1998 and 1999.

Programmes	1998	1999	Total
Basic Research Programme	115	106	221
Strategic Research Programme	62	56	118
Applied Research Universities	59	63	122
Applied Research Institutes of Technology	21	24	45
Irish American Partnerships (Post-Graduate-MSCs)	47	42	89
Post-Graduate PhDs	160	158	318
Post Doctoral Fellowships	5	5	10
Total	469	454	923

In addition, a number of postgraduates are employed indirectly through funding made available by the office of science and technology to the programmes in advanced technology and the national micro-electronics research centre.