Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 24 February 2021
689. Deputy Rose Conway-Walsh asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science his views on the development of a national public genomics programme given that €66 million in funding has already been given to a private company engaged in the collection and analysis of DNA without assurances of future access to the database; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10246/21]
View answerAs Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science, my Department has overall responsibility for national research and innovation policy. However, other departments have specific responsibility for research and innovation strategy related to their policy remits.
Responsibility for policy relating to genomics research falls under the remit of the Department of Health. The Health Research Board (HRB) in their new Strategy 2021-2025 launched last week state that they will ‘Take a leading role to convene stakeholders to progress the design, development and implementation of national shared, high-cost research infrastructures, including in the areas of biobanking and genomic research’.
My Department is broadly supportive of a national genomics programme and welcomes the opportunity to input and assist in such activities as outlined in the HRB Strategy, as appropriate. In particular, as the national foundation for investment in research in the areas of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM), Science Foundation Ireland (SFI), which falls under the remit of my Department, recognises that there is a need and strongly supports the introduction of a national strategy/national public genomics programme.
My understanding is that the €66 million in funding mentioned by the Deputy relates to a consortium investment led by the Ireland Strategic Investment Fund (ISIF), which is managed by the National Treasury Management Agency (NTMA) and as such is not under the remit of my Department.
