Paschal Donohoe (Dublin Central, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

In response to the issue raised in the debate, it is important to note the contributions of people who will be involved in running or guiding the SFI and its new mandate. The words of Professor Brian MacCraith, president of Dublin City University, are apt. He was a member of the steering committee that examined the balance of funding and how the money could be spent in a way that fitted in with the new strategic priorities referred to by Deputy Murphy. He made a clear statement about the future role of SFI and the new mandate the Bill provides for it. He said: "In response to the Government remit, the ultimate outcome is a shift of funding towards the more applied end of the continuum of research funding ... but even though the majority of funding for research is to be earmarked for the priority areas, there is still scope for evidence-based or blue skies research". Professor Mark Ferguson, the director general of the SFI, reiterated this when he clearly said, "Some people are saying that if you're not in an area, you are not going to be funded and everything has gone to the dogs and it is all short term. That is absolutely not true". He went on to clarify the way in which this funding will be used to examine areas that are very much research focused as opposed to areas that are research focused and can generate a commercial benefit in the future.

I endorse the approach the Minister of State and the Government are taking in the legislation for two reasons. If officials in countries that are dealing with the difficulties Ireland is dealing with - some of which are in external aid programmes - were asked what they believe the engines of economic growth will be and what could stabilise their countries now, every one would refer to an export driven performance and that they want to export their way out of the difficulties they are in while supporting the indigenous economy. Not every country will be able to export its way out of the difficulties they are in with the economies they have currently.

The only way in which countries will be able to achieve a sustainable export performance is if all of them seek to sell different services and products to their respective populations. It is essential that this takes place in areas that are sustainable and in which growth can be achieved. The approach taken to the role of Science Foundation Ireland and the areas over which it has responsibility appears to be the correct way to rise to the challenge I have outlined.

Other economies will either be able to perform better than us in certain areas of economic activity, export performance and domestic consumption or they will be able to do what we do more cheaply. The reason Ireland has been able to maintain its extraordinary export performance is the diversity of companies and entrepreneurs available to us. Under this legislation, taxpayers' money will be used to provide for the next wave of such diversity. The Bill does not seek to ignore or prevent research being done for the sake of research but to use the money available to us to prioritise and support areas of pure research and ensure funding is used to create a diverse economy that is capable of pulling out of the terrible difficulty in which we find ourselves. I am confident the right choices are being made.

This issue is not only one of making the correct choices in respect of the funding available for research and development. There are massive competing demands for every cent that we allocate to research and development. Other people will seek to have this funding allocated to other areas that are of equal importance, for example, public investment programmes, social spending, reducing the tax burden and funding hospital services. The clarity provided for in the legislation will allow us to set priorities and make choices in respect of competing demands.

I have referred frequently to digital gaming in Ireland, an extraordinary industry with which the Minister of State is familiar and to which the legislation refers in the context of e-gaming. I will conclude on a hopeful note. A person with whom I spoke recently told me that, given the large number of high-quality Irish start-ups in the gaming industry, the law of averages would suggest that the next Angry Birds, a game that has generated billions of euro in revenue for a Finnish company, may come out of Ireland. He formed this view on the basis of the skill, temperament and native ability of our young people, combined with the excellence of our education system. These advantages must be overlaid with smart choices made by the Government. This Bill is an example of such a smart choice and I look forward to its prompt implementation.

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