Paschal Donohoe (Dublin Central, Fine Gael)
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In response to the Deputy's questions, the Central Statistics Office survey on business expenditure on research and development carried out in Ireland indicates that most firms conducting research and development in Ireland are small and Irish. However, the total expenditure on research and development is indeed dominated by large, international firms. Irish owned firms constituted 82% of the total number of firms who conducted research and development in 2017 but the value of the research and development expenditure conducted by Irish owned firms was 31%.

In terms of the trends in relation to costs, it varies year by year because it depends on the kinds of projects that are undertaken in this country at any given point. In 2012, for example, the cost of the credit was €282 million. It increased in 2015 to €708 million. It now stands at €355 million and that is the most up-to-date figure that I have. I would make the point to the Deputy that it is not a question of either-or. He is arguing for support to enable research and development through our publicly funded universities and institutes of higher education but that is already happening. The Deputy needs only to look at the Tyndall National Institute in Cork, for example, and the value of the work and innovation that is going on there. He should look at the research work that is going on in all of our universities at the moment in everything from life sciences and food to information technology and the use of data. There is a huge amount of State enabled and funded research going on in our institutes and universities. Clearly, Science Foundation Ireland plays a really valuable role in that regard. In addition, it is the case that research and development is taking place within the private sector that is enabled by the research and development tax credit. That research and development, in turn, plays a role in the creation and retention of jobs within our economy, which is of enormous value. It is not a case of either-or. State funded investment in research and development is under way and at the same time, we have important research and development going on in private companies, supported by the aforementioned tax credit. That research and development plays a role in the creation of tax receipts and the retention of jobs in our country, which is hugely important at this time.