Deirdre Clune (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)

My question was on the way in which resources are allocated. I take from many of the Minister of State's comments that he is happy with the situation. The McCarthy report, the outputs of which I am looking forward to in the upcoming budget, noted that the emphasis in funding science, technology and innovation seemed to be on the publication of articles as opposed to more concrete economic measures. The report recommended a shift in emphasis to ensure commercial returns for resources over a certain period and a move away from emphasising the number of papers published, patents registered and so on. Does the Minister of State wish to comment?

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