Conor Lenihan (Dublin South West, Fianna Fail)

More worrying is the 26% cut in the national development plan allocation to science research and development. This is an inevitable part of the adjustment the country, economy and society are making. As the Minister of State with responsibility for science, technology and innovation, I hope we will emerge from our current problems sooner rather than later. However, the expenditure reduction in this area is inevitable given the extent to which public spending must be pared back in the current climate.

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