The Deputy asked for Exchequer funding on R&D, which for official statistics purposes is referred to as GBARD (Government Budget Allocations on R&D). GBARD comprises total government funding on R&D (all monies dedicated to R&D and channelled via research agencies/organisations). These official data are collected by my Department. GBARD fell from €787m in 2011 to €722m in 2013, but have since increased to €735m in 2015. As a percentage of GDP, GBARD was 0.45% in 2011 and is now 0.30% in 2015, the drop again owing to rising GDP.
Of the total GBARD figure, expenditure on R&D performed within the government sector (GovERD - Government Expenditure on R&D), was €132m in 2011 and has risen to €138m in 2015. This equates to 0.076% of GDP in 2011, but owing to rising GDP during this period, the 2015 percentage has fallen to 0.057%.
Gross expenditure on R&D (GERD), comprising all R&D public and private expenditure on R&D in the economy now stands at some €3.1 billion, equating to 1.27% of GDP.
Final allocations for 2016 are being collected by my Department and will be available in the autumn.
Table 1: Exchequer Funding on R&D in Monetary Terms and as a % of GDP
|
GovERD (€m)
|
GBARD (€m)
|
GovERD as % GDP
|
GBARD as % GDP
|
GERD as % GDP
|
2011
|
132
|
787
|
0.076
|
0.452
|
1.474
|
2012
|
132
|
752
|
0.075
|
0.430
|
1.564
|
2013
|
129
|
722
|
0.072
|
0.402
|
1.536
|
2014
|
130
|
727
|
0.067
|
0.376
|
1.471
|
2015
|
138
|
735
|
0.057
|
0.301
|
1.272
|
Source: Strategic Policy Division Surveys Unit, Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation.