Brian Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)

As the Deputy stated, the report only issued last month. It sets out various short, medium and long term initiatives which it advises should be progressed in that manner. We are in the process of ensuring that Departments take up recommendations which apply to them and incorporate them into their plans for this and future years. Also, there have been rearrangements in regard to Departments, including the transfer to the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Innovation of the programme of research in third level institutions, PRTLI . These are fundamental decisions which are part of a wide range of recommendations which will now be monitored and implemented over the course of the coming months and years. This is precisely as outlined in the report. It is a little facetious to suggest all of this was going to be implemented the following month. That would do a great disservice to what has been done.

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