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

When the Deputy looks at the companies who are accessing research and development grants, will he also be cognisant of the fact that they are creating employment in Ireland? Many of the companies the Deputy has referred to are very large employers. Their investment, which many other countries wanted, has been secured in Ireland. The different clauses the Deputy refers to, such as grants for research and development and the recognition of such within tax liabilities, are vital ways in which we attract investment to our country and create work. In response to the Deputy's point about the need for further investment in higher and further education, I had hoped that he would point to the fact that the investment plan in Project Ireland 2040 includes a very significant increase in Exchequer funding for higher and further education. I believe that most of the research that takes place there should be funded through the Exchequer.

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