John Halligan (Waterford, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I will provide an analysis and breakdown in respect of the 17 research centres. For the Deputy's information, a former MaREI researcher is now technical director of Ocean Energy, an SME that is building a 1.2 MW energy device in Portland, Oregon, as part of a USA-Ireland collaboration.

The Deputy will be well aware how the 17 research centres are funded and how they have been developed over the past number of years.

Ireland is now ranked ninth in innovation on the innovation scoreboards in Europe. In the top ten science subjects, Ireland is now second in agri-science, second in nanotechnology, fourth in chemistry and fifth in material sciences. Much of that has to do with the work that is being done through Science Foundation Ireland and our collaboration and co-operation with major industries, universities and institutes of technology.

The Deputy is correct in saying that a lot more needs to be done on defining what climate change is, how we deal with it and whether we can deal with it through our research centres. Within a week, I will have an analysis done as to where we work on and how we address climate change through any of the centres and I will have it sent on to the Deputy.

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