Science gets £86m in funding

The Government will spend about £86 million (€109 million) on scientific research during 2001. This includes funding for programmes which support industrial and university-based research.

The National Development Plan anticipated spending worth £1.95 billion in the period to 2006, about £1.2 billion for industrial/university programmes, and excluding £500 million to be allocated via the Higher Education Authority. Industry targeted expenditure so far however has achieved nothing like the average annual £200 million it would have to reach to use all of this funding.

Only about £35 million was spent last year, according to a spokesman at the Office of Science and Technology in the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment who acknowledged they were working "under budget". This would change significantly in the coming years, he added. "It is really sowing the seeds for the kind of spending we expect under the National Plan."

There had been hold-ups in getting research support into companies under several schemes. This was because of delays in receiving final approval from the Productive Sector Operational Programme group in Brussels.

Once clearance was received for the plan later this month, spending would increase under a range of programmes. "We are now at the point when we are ready to do a formal launch for all of the schemes," he said.

A key spending allocation is the £30 million earmarked for the Science Foundation Ireland which will fund advanced research into biotechnology and information technology. A call for research proposals has already been made and a second offer is expected during 2001, he said. "The whole thing will be to try to keep up the momentum." SFI has about £500 million available to it over the life of the NDP.

The Research, Technology and Innovation (RTI) industry investment programme would receive between £20 million and £25 million, he said. Its three parts support capability enhancement schemes involving large-scale company investment; a scheme which supports smaller scale projects; and a training programme for innovation managers.

The RTI collaboration programme which encourages cooperation between the thirdlevel institutions and companies and also supports third level strategic and applied research will receive another £20 million to £25 million, he said.