Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Tuesday, 28 Feb 1995

Vol. 449 No. 7

Written Answers. - Science and Technology Research.

Ned O'Keeffe

Ceist:

210 Mr. E. O'Keeffe asked the Minister for Enterprise and Employment the total amount of funds from his Department for research and development on science and technology for the years 1995 and 1996 from EU funds, national grant and other sources; the names of the centres that will be grant aided; the type of projects to be grant aided; and if similar information is available for the years 1994 and 1995. [4270/95]

Minister for Enterprise and Employment (Mr. R. Bruton)

I presume that this question relates to the R & D subprogramme of the Operational Programme for Industrial Development, 1994-99, which was formally launched on 23 January 1995.

Under this programme, the funding for science and technology for the years 1994, 1995 and 1996 is shown in the table below, along with the major sources of this funding:

R & D sub-programme by Measure	1994£m (provisional)	1995£m (projected)	1996£m (projected)	Sources of Funding
1. Industry R & D Initiative	26.914	30.295	30.060	ERDF/Private
2. Higher Education/Industry Co-operation	30.867	31.962	31.962	ERDF/National Government
3. Human Resources in R & D	1.295	2.826	2.826	ESF/Private/ National Government
4. Research	2.750	3.090	3.140	ERDF/National Government
Totals:	61.826	68.173	67.988

The types of activities which these measures support are outlined in general terms in the operational programme.

As regards the individual projects, activities or centres to be funded in 1995 and 1996, these will vary considerably within the measures outlined above and will depend on the response to calls for proposals made under specific schemes and the levels of funding available. For example, the R & D projects to be supported under measure 1, the Industry R & D Initiative, will depend on the applications received from companies. In measure 2, projects will be supported in areas such as technology transfer, graduate skills (Techstart and Techman schemes), technology audits, technology service centres and the programmes in advanced technology. The allocation of funding under all of these schemes, as in the scientific research grant schemes and the higher education/industry co-operation schemes under measure 4, will depend on the draft projects put forward for consideration by applicants.

In all cases, individual projects are critically assessed and evaluated and only those which are of the highest quality and which meet all the relevant criteria under a particular scheme, will be successful.