Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)

We have a greater number of researchers per 1,000 people than the European average. The bottom line is that since the establishment of the PRTLI programme during my time as Minister for Education and Science and the establishment of Science Foundation Ireland under the aegis of the Tánaiste during her tenure in my Department, there has been a dramatic transformation of the research landscape for which the Government deserves credit. We realise we must transform that agenda again and are preparing an action implementation strategy for research which will involve significant changes both in terms of prioritisation, targeting and envelopes over a six-year period to bring us to even higher levels of research and development.

The good news is that much of the foreign direct investment we have recently announced has included strong research and development components. Many of our indigenous companies, particularly those in the food sector such as Glanbia and Dairygold, invest heavily in research and development centres which provides new jobs for this emerging economy.

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