Written Answers Nos. 93 - 110
93. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation if he will justify the stance taken by his Department in 2012 that the State's chief scientific adviser would no longer hold a separate office; and the way that his Department deemed it as best for the third level education system that its independence should be forfeited. [17034/15]
View answerThe role of the State’s Chief Scientific Adviser (CSA) is to provide the Government with independent expert advice on issues related to public science policy.
The decision in 2012 to abolish the separate Office of the CSA was taken by the Government in response to the Public Sector Reform Initiative announced in November 2011. The Office of the CSA was included in the bodies for critical review under the Public Sector Reform Initiative which called for a rationalisation and reduction in number of state bodies. It was further agreed that the role of the CSA would be taken on by Professor Mark Ferguson in addition to his existing role as Director General of Science Foundation Ireland.
The decision by Government to abolish the separate office of Chief Scientific Advisor was made on foot of a Memorandum to Government in Oct 2012 which was preceded by consultation with all Government Departments as is required.
94. Deputy Anne Ferris asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation if his attention has been drawn to tax or other incentives that a company (details supplied) may avail of by choosing to locate its data centre in County Galway; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17089/15]
View answerI was very pleased to have been in a position to announce this exciting project last February, as it represents a very significant investment by this company, one which will create a significant number of jobs, both in construction and ongoing on a permanent basis.
In relation to incentives, while there was intensive engagement with the company by IDA Ireland over a significant period, working to secure this project for Ireland, no grant aid will be payable in this case. In relation to taxation issues, Ireland’s tax system is statute based. Accordingly there is no possibility of special tax treatment for an individual company outside of what is provided for in the relevant legislation.
95. Deputy Micheál Martin asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation if the technology readiness level of research funding through agencies under his Department has been examined; and if so, if he will state, for each agency, the technology readiness level of research funding provided for all available years. [17120/15]
View answerThe Action Plan for Jobs sets out a range of measures to promote innovation, including the ongoing support and development of research in enterprises and in public research organisations across the full spectrum of research sophistication. Innovation is at the heart of building our New Economy and the transformation of the enterprise base, growing exports and to developing a competitive national economy that will secure sustainable full employment over the long term. By encouraging the development of new economic activities, the RD&I policy measures in the Action Plan for Jobs are focused on strengthening Ireland’s competitive advantage and on building potential new areas of economic activity.
My Department through its agencies funds research enterprise and public research activities across the full range of Technology Readiness Levels. Technology Readiness Levels are a measure of the maturity or proximity to market of a technology. Lower TRLs (1-3) include demonstration of basic principles through to proof of concept. Medium TRLs (4-7) span technology validation and prototype demonstration and higher TRLs (8-9) refer to pre-commercial deployment up to market introduction.
My Department currently funds twelve Science Foundation Ireland (SFI) Research Centres and fifteen Enterprise Ireland/IDA Ireland (EI/IDA) Technology Centres of scale funded by the Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation. These centres, together with sectoral centres such as Tyndall and the National Institute for Bioprocessing Research and Training (NIBRT) comprise the market focused element of the Irish research centre landscape supported by DJEI. Enterprise Ireland and SFI also work closely with Teagasc on jointly funding research for the food and beverage sector.
In relation to SFI supported Research Centres, a large share of their resources are focused on TRLs 1 to 4, supporting medium and short-term problem-oriented research including collaborative research and on oriented basic research. EI/IDA Technology Centres and NIBRT support research that is in higher TRLs, at TRLs 4 to 8. Jointly funded initiatives with Teagasc span the higher TRLs. Based on the substantial number of firms participating in the agency supported programmes and centres, this approach to support is serving enterprise research needs and is of value to Irish-based companies.
96. Deputy Micheál Martin asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the definition of basic research used by his Department in deciding allocations to different types of research. [17121/15]
View answerScience Foundation Ireland (SFI) is the national foundation for investment in scientific and engineering research. My department provides SFI with its annual budget and SFI, in turn, invests in academic researchers and research teams most likely to generate new knowledge, leading edge technologies and, ultimately, competitive enterprises that draw on skills in the fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). In general SFI funding is allocated to research areas including the areas identified in the Government’s national research prioritisation exercise and not, per se, by research type.
In delivering its mandate SFI reviews its funding mechanisms on an ongoing basis against international benchmarking, in the context of its strategic priorities and technology foresight. The objective of this continuous assessment is to ensure that all SFI programmes continue to deliver Government policy and the strategic objectives of the Foundation and that the appropriate structures and opportunities are available for the Irish research community to support the delivery of excellent science with impact.
In support of this, SFI focuses on scientific excellence and its impact across a portfolio of programmes to support the Irish ecosystem at different levels of intervention. These programmes range from supports for young people at all stages of their careers (Starting Investigator, Career Development, etc.), through to support of outstanding individuals (Investigator, Research Professor, etc.), to large scale Research Centres, partnerships with industry and others (e.g. SFI/HRB/Wellcome Trust Partnership). This mixed portfolio approach supports a range of activities across the areas under SFI’s remit. Individual research projects selected for funding may often span across the areas of both oriented-basic and applied research.
The remit of SFI was extended in 2013 with the enactment of the Industrial Development (Science Foundation Ireland) (Amendment) Act 2013 enabling it to fund applied as well as continuing to fund oriented basic research in strategic areas of opportunity for the State.
SFI enacting legislation defines oriented basic research as research that is carried out with the expectation that it will produce a broad base of knowledge that is likely to form the background to the solution of recognised or expected current or future problems or possibilities.
97. Deputy Micheál Martin asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the number of research positions supported by funding schemes operated by his Department, by agency and by year, for each of the past five years. [17122/15]
View answerResponsibility for the operation of research funding schemes lies primarily with Science Foundation Ireland. Enterprise Ireland implements a number of funding programmes which also support researchers.
Research positions supported by SFI funded schemes:
|
Year |
Number of Researchers |
|
2014 |
2,792 |
|
2013 |
2,656 |
|
2012 |
2,815 |
|
2011 |
2,995 |
|
2010 |
2,999 |
Research positions supported by EI funded programmes:
|
Year |
Number of Researchers (Estimated) |
|
2014 |
1180 |
|
2013 |
990 |
|
2012 |
930 |
|
2011 |
805 |
|
2010 |
860 |
98. Deputy Micheál Martin asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the number of submissions he has received concerning the new science strategy. [17123/15]
View answer100. Deputy Micheál Martin asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation if he has met with the originators of a recent public letter protesting against the impact of changes in research policy. [17125/15]
View answer103. Deputy Micheál Martin asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation if he has provided a commitment to all organisations involved in awarding publicly-funded research that they will be treated equally in relation to participation in the drafting and consideration of the new science strategy. [17128/15]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 98, 100 and 103 together.
Stakeholder and public consultation is an important element of the process in the development of a successor to the Strategy for Science, Technology & Innovation. Some 77 submissions in response to the consultation paper have been received including the open letter from "Irish Scientists for Basic Research". I have written to the organiser of the open letter offering to meet to discuss the issues raised.
To ensure its development benefits from a whole of Government perspective, formulation of the new Strategy has been tasked to an Interdepartmental Committee on Science, Technology and Innovation, which comprises membership from research funding Government Departments and the Higher Education Authority, along with the Chief Scientific Adviser to the Government. The Committee, which has met five times since January, is working in close collaboration to explore in detail the important issues and policy questions that need to be addressed in drafting the new Strategy. As part of its work, the Committee is considering the outcomes and emerging findings of relevant consultations/studies, and is also examining the submissions received in response to the consultation paper.
99. Deputy Micheál Martin asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation if he has conducted any review into the impact of the most recent legislative changes to the legal mandate of Science Foundation Ireland. [17124/15]
View answerThe remit of Science Foundation Ireland (SFI) was amended with the enactment of the Industrial Development (Science Foundation Ireland) Act 2013 (No. 36 of 2013). The amended remit enables SFI to fund applied as well as oriented basic research in strategic areas of opportunity for the State.
The Act as amended also enables SFI to:
- develop and extend the capability for the carrying out of oriented basic and applied research in institutions
- promote attraction to the State world class researchers and research teams in strategic areas of opportunity for the State
- provide funding on an all-Island basis, subject to excellence and strategic criteria being met;
- enter collaborative arrangements with international partners; and
- provide funding to promote the study of, education in and awareness of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM).
The legislation provides that the Minister may prescribe by regulations the strategic areas of opportunity. The Industrial Development (Science Foundation Ireland) (Strategic Areas of Opportunity) Regulations 2013 (S.I. No. 476 of 2013) prescribed the areas identified in the National Research Prioritisation Exercise which was approved by the Government in March 2012 as strategic areas of opportunity for the purposes of the Act.
SFI reviews its funding mechanisms on an ongoing basis against international benchmarking, in the context of its strategic priorities and technology foresight. The objective of this continuous assessment is to ensure that all SFI programmes continue to deliver Government policy and the strategic objectives of the Foundation and that the appropriate structures and opportunities are available for the Irish research community to support the delivery of excellent science with impact.
In addition, assessments of the implementation of research prioritisation have been conducted and these include perspectives on how research prioritisation has been implemented by all funding organisations including SFI. There are no plans at present to carry out a specific review of the impact of the legislative changes to the remit of the Foundation.
101. Deputy Micheál Martin asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the number of small and medium sized enterprises which are research-active; and the number which have some form of engagement with research facilities in publicly-funded institutions. [17126/15]
View answerThe Action Plan for Jobs accords a high priority to increasing the number of research active enterprises in Ireland, with a particular focus on SMEs.
The latest available data from the CSO, which covers all sectors of the economy, is for 2011. For confidentiality reasons the companies in the CSO data are grouped into small enterprises (less than 50 employees) and medium/large (50+ employees) enterprises. A company is defined as research active if it had any expenditure on R&D activities.
The CSO report that there were 1,109 small enterprises categorised as research active in 2011 and of these 191 engaged in joint research projects with higher education institutes in Ireland and 83 engaged with higher education institutes outside of Ireland.
The CSO data also indicates that 499 medium/large enterprises were research active in 2011 and of these 121 engaged in joint research projects with higher education institutes in Ireland and 42 engaged with higher education institutes outside of Ireland.
Figures from Enterprise Ireland show that 878 collaborations involving companies and publicly funded research institutions were supported in 2014. Of these 591 involved SMEs, an increase of 6 per cent from 2011. These collaborations cover schemes including Innovation Vouchers, Innovation Partnerships, Technology Gateways and International Collaborations including Horizon 2020. The majority of these collaborations at approximately 90 percent are for Innovation Vouchers which typically relate to micro SMEs.
Science Foundation Ireland (SFI) funded researchers currently engage in 901 collaborations with 551 companies. These comprise 462 collaborations with MNCs (51%) and 439 with SMEs (49%). If the data is analysed only including companies that have a base in Ireland, the balance shifts slightly towards more SME involvement (56%). The total number of companies involved in these 901 collaborations is 551. This includes 219 MNCs and 332 SMEs. This illustrates the level of sophistication of research activity in some parts of the SME base.
CSO Statbank tables from which the above information is derived:
Table BSA21: Number of enterprises engaged in R&D activities by size of enterprise, 2007 - 2011
|
- |
2007 |
2009 |
2011 |
|
All enterprises |
1206 |
1283 |
1608 |
|
Small (<50 persons engaged) |
702 |
818 |
1109 |
|
Medium/Large (50+ persons engaged) |
504 |
465 |
499 |
Table BSA34: Enterprises Engaged in Joint Research Projects (%) by Size of Enterprise, Research Partners and Year
|
- |
Research partners |
2011 |
|
Small |
Higher education or other institutes in Ireland |
17.2 |
|
Higher education or other institutes outside Ireland |
7.5 |
|
|
Medium/Large |
Higher education or other institutes in Ireland |
24.2 |
|
Higher education or other institutes outside Ireland |
8.4 |
102. Deputy Micheál Martin asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation if he will report on the latest estimates concerning meeting set goals in assessing Irish success in Horizon 2020 programmes. [17127/15]
View answerIn December 2013, the Government approved a national strategy for participation in Horizon 2020 together with an ambitious target of €1.25 billion in funding to Ireland over the lifetime of Horizon 2020 Framework Programme (2014-2020). The strategy sets out a comprehensive range of actions designed to maximise Ireland’s participation in the programme and achieve the target, involving all of the key Departments, agencies and research performers. A Horizon 2020 High Level Group (HLG) under the chairmanship of the Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation was established to oversee the implementation of the national strategy for engagement with Horizon 2020. More recently, and under the auspices of the HLG, a Strategic Research Proposals Group has been established to catalyse for projects of larger scale.
In the context of the Action Plan for Jobs 2014, a target of €100m. was set for 2014, the first year of operation of Horizon 2020, recognising that participation and success in Framework Programmes tend to ramp up over their lifetime.
Full year data are not yet available from the EU Commission for 2014. Based on the latest data release, covering the first 9 months of 2014, Ireland has secured €97m. of funding. On the basis of this figure I am confident that we will exceed the target we set ourselves for 2014, notwithstanding the very competitive nature of Horizon 2020.
My Department will continue to drive engagement with Horizon 2020, through the HLG, the Strategic Research Proposals Group, and the National Support Network for Horizon 2020 led by Enterprise Ireland. This will include ongoing identification of key areas of opportunity where Irish researchers, agencies and companies can maximise their participation in the Programme and initiatives to mobilise both the research community and enterprise to bid for and secure funding under the Programme.
104. Deputy Micheál Martin asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the position regarding filling research programme-related vacancies in agencies under his Department. [17129/15]
View answerOver recent years, the Government has introduced various initiatives aimed at reducing the public sector pay bill. Central to these has been the moratorium on recruitment to the public sector and the Employment Control Framework (ECF) mechanism administered centrally by the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform (DPER) which has placed challenging staff reduction targets for all public sector bodies.
The filling of critical vacancies in all agencies of my Department (and indeed in the core Department itself) has been subject to the exigencies and constraints of both these initiatives. These include a requirement, in respect of each proposed appointment, to procure sanction from DPER – regardless of whether a Department or agency is operating within its ECF limit. The decision to sanction is influenced by the business case submitted in support of the proposal, in the context of the imperative to significantly reduce pressure on the public sector pay bill and, of course, the strategic priorities of the Agency concerned at the time in question. When sanction is received, the recruitment process is undertaken by the agencies themselves, typically in conjunction with the Public Appointments Service.
In accordance with the announcement of my colleague the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform in Budget 2015, arrangements to lift the moratorium on recruitment to public sector organisations have been put in place and my Department has made its formal submission to DPER for a delegated sanction that will allow the Department and our Agencies greater autonomy in determining their own staffing priorities, within the limitations of agreed pay budgets.
105. Deputy Micheál Martin asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation if he will estimate the percentage of funding awarded by agencies under his Department available for basic research, in general, and for basic research outside of the research prioritisation area, in particular. [17130/15]
View answerGovernment policy is focused on building excellence in scientific research and maximising its impact on jobs, and on economic and social progress. The Government has introduced a number of policy initiatives targeted at accelerating the economic and societal return on our STI investment. Amongst these was the implementation of the proposals of the Research Prioritisation Group. Following rigorous analysis and intensive engagement with all key stakeholders, this broad based group comprising membership from academia and industry identified 14 priority areas around which the majority of competitive funding should be targeted. The areas were identified on the basis of existing strengths of the public research system and our enterprise base, opportunities that exist in terms of the global marketplace and areas which can address a national or global challenge to which Ireland should respond. The Government is firmly committed to the continued implementation of Research Prioritisation and this will be a key pillar of the successor to the Strategy for Science, Technology and Innovation. It should be noted that research prioritisation does not apply to the entire science budget. It applies to the majority of competitive funding which does not, of course, include the block grant to Higher Education Institutes.
Excellence in scientific research has been, and will continue to be, a cornerstone in the development of our science base in Ireland and this has been complemented in recent years by a sharper focus on the relevance and impact of research. While Research Prioritisation saw a greater emphasis on the economic and societal impact of research it did not represent a move away from funding basic research. Statistical evidence which supports this fact is contained in early figures from the latest survey of investment in Higher Education Research and Development (HERD). This shows that, for the academic year 2012-2013, 50.9% of the total HERD budget was on basic research, which compares to a figure of 55% pertaining to the academic year 2006/07. Policy has been, and will continue to be, to support research across the full continuum from basic to applied, through to commercialisation of research.
Agencies under the remit of my Department are currently responsible for approximately 46% of the overall Government budget for R&D of €724million. Within this budget Science Foundation Ireland (SFI) accounts for over €153million (or 21.2% of the total State budget for science). The remit of SFI, as amended in 2013, enables it to support oriented-basic and applied research. SFI manages the portfolio of programmes it operates to support the Irish ecosystem at different levels of intervention. Many individual research projects funded by SFI will span the domains of basic through to applied research. SFI’s focus is on excellent and impactful work which takes place from ideas to application.
106. Deputy Paul J. Connaughton asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine when a payment under the agri-environment options scheme will issue in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Galway; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17013/15]
View answerThe person named was approved for participation in the 2010 Agri Environment Options Scheme (AEOS 1) with effect from 1 November 2010.
Under the EU Regulations governing the Scheme and other area-based payment schemes, a comprehensive administrative check, including cross-checks with the Land Parcel Identification System, must be completed before any payment can issue. The application of the person named was also selected for an on-farm inspection, during which non-compliances with the Terms and Conditions of the Scheme were noted in relation to the Riparian Margin action, which resulted in a penalty being incurred. The person named was notified of this on 15 October 2014.
Officials are currently processing the application on the basis of the inspection findings and payment in respect of the 2014 scheme year, less the penalty, will issue very shortly.
107. Deputy Paul J. Connaughton asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will ensure that farmers currently restricted with incidences of tuberculosis are fast-tracked in terms of outstanding agri-environment options scheme payments, in view of the hardship that they are currently enduring and the lack of cashflow available to them; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17014/15]
View answerThe person named was approved for participation in the 2012 Agri Environment Options Scheme (AEOS 3) with effect from the 1 May 2013.
Under the EU Regulations governing the Scheme and other area-based payment schemes, a comprehensive administrative check, including cross-checks with the Land Parcel Identification System, must be completed before any payment can issue. The application of the person named was selected for an on-farm inspection in respect of the 2013 scheme year, during which non-compliances with the Terms and Conditions of the Scheme were noted in relation to the Natura action, which resulted in a penalty being incurred. The person named was notified of this in a letter dated 10 February 2015. Officials are currently processing the application on the basis of the inspection findings and a balancing payment in respect of the 2013 scheme year, less penalty, will issue shortly. Once the payment for 2013 has issued, the application will be processed for 2014 scheme year payments as soon as possible. Whilst there is no provision in the Regulations to alter the AEOS payment process where a herd is restricted, every effort will be made to expedite payment.
108. Deputy Michael Ring asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the reason a person (details supplied) in County Mayo has not received payments under the single payment scheme and the disadvantaged areas scheme for 2013 and 2014 and to date in 2015. [17026/15]
View answerThe person named did not receive a direct payment in 2013 under the Single Farm Payment scheme as he did not submit a 2013 Single Farm Payment/Disadvantaged Area’s scheme application.
An application under the 2014 Single Farm Payment/Disadvantaged Area’s scheme was received from the person named on 7 May 2014, however, no land parcels were declared on the application. In order to draw down payment in respect of Single Farm Payment entitlements, you must have an eligible hectare to accompany each entitlement.
To date, no appeal has been received in respect of scheme years 2013 or 2014. An official from my Department will be in direct contact with the person named to clarify the position.
The closing date for the 2015 Basic Payment scheme is 29 May 2015.
109. Deputy Michael Ring asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the position regarding a land parcel identification system overclaim 2013 appeal in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Mayo; if a field inspection is required to verify that this land is being grazed; and if so, whether the inspection could be arranged as quickly as possible, as this matter is delaying the transfer of the herd number. [17033/15]
View answerA review of land parcels declared under the 2013 Single Payment Scheme revealed that a number of land parcels declared by the person named under the Single Payment Scheme contained ineligible areas. The identified areas were removed from the parcels declared by the person named. One of these areas, which was a parcel of common lands located in the townland of Derryhillagh, was determined to be 100% bog. The person named was advised accordingly by letter on 27 November 2013 and requested a review of the decision on 4 April 2014. My Department will arrange to have a field verification visit carried out as soon as possible and the person named will be notified of the outcome in writing in due course.
110. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the reason farmers with land designated as special protection areas to protect the hen harrier may not apply to both the organic scheme and the green low-carbon agri-environmental scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17045/15]
View answerThere are no restrictions on farmers who have land designated for the Hen Harrier from applying to join either the Organic Farming Scheme or GLAS, or both. However, as both schemes are delivered under Ireland’s Rural Development Programme 2014 – 2020 the provisions to guard against double-funding apply. This means that where both the GLAS Hen Harrier prescription and the Organic Farming Scheme prescription are delivered on the same land, payment in respect of both would result in double-funding. This is because both payments compensate for income foregone as a result of reduced productivity arising from restrictions on the use of chemical fertilisers. In such cases, an Organic Farmer who wishes to avail of GLAS can simply forego the organic payment on that parcel in favour of the higher GLAS payment to protect and conserve the bird habitat.
