Áine Collins (Cork North West, Fine Gael)
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Ms Riordan and her colleagues are very welcome. I am most encouraged from what I have heard from her. The experience she outlined is fantastic. I thank her for taking up the position. Science, research and innovation, commercialisation, entrepreneurship and building companies is what we must focus on if we are to solve the unemployment problem. We need strong leadership. We need people who can make decisions who are not afraid to take on challenges and can be innovative in doing that. Ms Riordan seems to have all the skills required. We are very lucky to have her. I wish her well and look forward to working with her.

I appreciate that Mr. Michael McLoughlin has just arrived but he might be able to help me with a question I have on not-for-profit research technology organisations. We are the only country out of 38 in Europe that does not have them. All research and innovation is currently funded through universities. There is much collaboration around the country between PhD students coming together with multinationals or smaller SME companies coming together to collaborate but they must go through a college in order to get funding for research or innovation. We are the only country in Europe that seems to have this model, which seems to me to be a deterrent for research and innovation. I would appreciate a comment from Mr. McLoughlin. I am aware there is talk about trying to change the system at the moment and there is much impetus in that regard.