Richard Bruton (Dublin North Central, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I agree. If the Deputy looks at SFI's strategic plan, he will see that they are precisely the things with which it is concerned. It must build human capital within the universities and see to it that 60% of it will transfer to the enterprise base in order that with this capability we can grow the industry base. The 12 science centres are part of the budgeting. They are funding more basic research by principal investigators. This involves building world-class centres of scale and ambition in which the science is internationally robust and they can build connections to our small and medium enterprises, about which Deputy PeadarTóibín was talking earlier.

It is really important that we have the spectrum. While some people will say that what is all-important is the basic research, others will say it is commercialisation. We are making sure we fund the whole spectrum and are trying to improve the connections. We have put in Knowledge Transfer Ireland, improved the IP protocols and built the technology gateways in our institutes of education. We have built the scientific research centres and have a suite of projects.

Returning to Deputy Daly's point, it would be the very same in any other European country. Other countries are struggling with the sort of spectrum they should build and how to do it best. It is hotly contested and I make no apologies for saying jobs are my priority at the moment as we are a job-needy economy. Others will say the priority is basic research and we are trying to strike the balance. We have really good people driving the system and it is working. We are doing well against international measures in excellence of science and in application.

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