Vol. 573 No. 2
44 Mr. Kehoe asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the expenditure committed and details of investments in research and development projects throughout the State; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [24415/03]
Government expenditure on science and technology is recorded in the science budget prepared by Forfás. The most recent science budget relates to 2001 in which €342 million was expended by Government on research and development throughout the State. My Department's science and technology budget alone has increased by 121% to approximately €159 million in 2003 from expenditure of approximately €72 million in 2001. This money is disbursed through a number of agencies, including Science Foundation Ireland and Enterprise Ireland, which operate under the aegis of my Department and through a number of international research bodies of which Ireland is a member, including the European Space Agency.
Science Foundation Ireland funding is being used to recruit and retain researchers and research groups capable of developing high impact, internationally significant discoveries in the fields underpinning biotechnology and information and communications technology, ICTs. These investments are supporting knowledge creation and human capital development, which are the cornerstones of a knowledge based economy. At enterprise level, investment by Enterprise Ireland is being targeted at increasing innovation and new product development and thus raising competitiveness of Irish based companies. In the case of the international research bodies, our national subscriptions provide benefits in terms of membership, including access by Irish researchers and firms to research findings, scientific know-how and industrial contracts.
