Vol. 395 No. 8
52 Mr. Stagg asked the Minister for Industry and Commerce if he will outline the relations, commercial, contractual or otherwise, which exist between his Department and Irish third level educational institutions; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
My Department provides funding for a number of activities in the third level educational institutions. These include the development of national centres of scientific and technological expertise on which industry can draw for R & D purposes. Centres have been established to date in the areas of microelectronics, biotechnology, advanced manufacturing technology and optoelectronics.
In addition to these infrastructure measures, funding is provided for grants for applied scientific research, post-graduate research scholarships and other initiatives related to industrial innovation.
A study of the economics of competition policy in Ireland to be undertaken by a third level institution has been commissioned by my Department.
