asked the Minister for Industry and Commerce the amount that was spent in 1974 on research and development for the advancement of science; and the percentage of the GNP which this expenditure constituted.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Advancement of Science.
69.
Research and development statistics for the whole economy are, in accordance with OECD practice, collected only every two years in the uneven years, that is, 1971, 1973 and so on. The 1973 figures are in fact not yet available, as the OECD have been engaged up to recently in revising the basis on which the figures were to be compiled. However, for the financial year 1974 figures for Government expenditure on research and development are available, and these amounted to £9.10 million for the nine months, equivalent to about £12.13 million on a full 12-month basis, which is estimated to constitute approximately 0.4 per cent of GNP.
Could the Minister give me any idea as to the areas in which the £9.10 million was expended?
I have not details of that since the question was an expenditure one, but I shall try from the knowledge I have to inadequately answer the Deputy. He will know that for a considerable time there has been an excellent effort made by the Agricultural Institute, which is a major recipient of the available moneys. Another major recipient is the Institute for Industrial Research and Standards. There is, of course, a budget, not the whole of which could be counted for research and development, but some of the budget of the National Science Council goes through them to universities and other institutions for research and development work. Government Departments directly and indirectly, such as the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries, where there is direct fishery laboratory work and direct veterinary research, receive some of this money. The two great recipients are the Agricultural Institute and the IIRS, and then the Government Departments directly.