Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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1. To ask the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation his policy on capturing the long-term benefits of scientific research, following an open letter by over 900 scientists (details supplied); his strategy for the funding of applied research and basic research; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12182/15]

Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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Over 900 of the country's leading scientists published a very damning letter in The Irish Timeslast week about current Government research policy. They expressed concerns about the commercial focus and highlighted the need to change the balance between basic and applied research. I notice that there has been no response to the letter from the Government. I also notice that submissions are being invited on a new policy in the area.

Richard Bruton (Dublin North Central, Fine Gael)
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Government policy is focused on building excellence in scientific research and maximising its impact on job creation and economic and social progress. Neither I nor the Government make any apology for putting extra emphasis on research that could help to create more jobs. The Government introduced a number of policy initiatives targeted at accelerating the economic and societal return on our investment in this area. Among them was implementation of the proposals of the research prioritisation group. Following rigorous analysis and intensive engagement with all key stakeholders, this broad-based group which comprised members from industry and academia identified 14 priority areas at which the majority of competitive funding should be targeted. The areas were identified on the basis of existing strengths of the public research system, existing strengths of the enterprise base, opportunities in the global market and those most likely to deliver an economic and societal impact and employment.

Excellence in scientific research has been and will continue to be a cornerstone of the development of the science base in Ireland. This has been complemented in recent years by a sharper focus on the relevance and impact of research. Whereas research prioritisation saw greater emphasis on the economic and societal impact of research, it did not represent a move away from funding basic research. Policy has been and will continue to be to support research across the full continuum from basic to applied, through to the commercialisation of research. All research supported by Science Foundation Ireland, SFI, is in line with our research prioritisation agenda and must have an impact. This approach has been successful in developing 12 research centres of scale and ambition. This approach will underpin the successor to the strategy for science, technology and innovation which is being formulated by an interdepartmental committee which includes representatives of key Departments and the Higher Education Authority, as well as the chief scientific adviser to the Government. The views of all stakeholders, including the open letter from Irish Scientists for Basic Research, are welcome in this regard.

Evidence from both the European Union and internationally indicates that this strategy is paying off. Globally, Ireland was ranked 11th out of 142 countries in the Global Innovation Index 2014, third in the new EU indicator of innovation output, ninth in the European Commission's 2014 Innovation Union Scoreboard and among the top 20 countries in global rankings for the quality of our scientific research. We rank in the top four in the areas of immunology, animal and dairy, nanotechnology and computer science.

Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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When over 900 of the leading researchers in the world combine and publish a letter such as this, it should surely ring alarm bells. A number of issues arise. We have supported the Minister in the past in his attempts to focus research expenditure on job-related issues but not at the cost of long-term research. For example, in the 14 areas mentioned issues to do with neuroscience are excluded. One of the successes of our foreign direct investment in recent years has been the ability of long-standing companies to use research budgets to reinvent what they had come to do. There are companies working in Ireland with partnerships and investment funds, with research and development dating back ten or 15 years, and this has resulted in hundreds of jobs being retained. The very narrow and short-term focus that is driving science funding will prohibit this from happening in the future. We do not know today what will be the main product in five years time. That is my concern. As long as the Government pursues a short-term project, we will miss out on long-term economic opportunities. More importantly, we will miss out on long-term societal opportunities. For example, in the case of illnesses that have not been researched, how can we encourage such research if we have this focus?

Richard Bruton (Dublin North Central, Fine Gael)
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I totally reject the suggestion that the approach adopted is either narrow or short-term. This work was initiated by my predecessor who appointed the group to look at the issue of research prioritisation. Nobody could argue with the make-up of the group. The approach being taken is that a proposal is tested first for scientific excellence by peer groups at the highest standard of international scrutiny to see that the science is excellent. The second element, a "gateway" as described by the research prioritisation group, is an analysis of whether the issue is relevant in an area in which Ireland can hope to develop opportunities. These are not restrictive elements. There is a range of supports in the areas of materials, data, infant care, marine research and solid state pharmaceuticals. There are scientifically peer-reviewed centres of an excellent standard which will have an impact and there will be 1,000 graduates in these areas. They will be winning EU funding and it is estimated that they will attract €100 million in private funding and €280 million in non-Exchequer funding. There will be 61 spin-outs formed, with 352 commercialisation awards and 284 licence agreements. These are all having a real impact in areas in which we can hope to develop employment opportunities. That is what we must do, but choices must be made in any area. The approach set out by the research prioritisation group is the right one.

Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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If it is so great, how come 900 people came together to write the letter? According to Professor Kevin Mitchell of the Smurfit Institute of Genetics in Trinity College Dublin, if we want to have a knowledge economy, we have to invest in knowledge. The letter indicates that the people concerned are becoming "more and more dismayed" by the change in policy, which shifted all of the funding from science to hoped-for short-term applications. This expresses the frustration of those who will be inventing what we will need economically and, more importantly, societally in the coming years. What were the procedures used in publicising the consultation process for the new policy? Many have said it was a very narrow consultation process and that the information on it and the deadlines were kept to a closed circle. Knowledge of the process and an ability to participate in changing it was, therefore, very limited. I gather the deadline for the receipt of submissions is next week.

Richard Bruton (Dublin North Central, Fine Gael)
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I do not accept this at all. It would be very strange if people looking for funding were not complaining that they would like to have more funding. The Deputy knows that there were sharp cutbacks in research funding during his party's period in government.

Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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The entire infrastructure was put in place during our time in government.

Richard Bruton (Dublin North Central, Fine Gael)
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We have stabilised that. Every project that comes forward for consideration is considered first on its scientific excellence. That is done independently with international peer review. The excellence of the science is the first consideration. It also has to show some relevance to areas where we can hope to make an impact on our economy or our society. Such a focus is needed a time of 10% unemployment. We need employment. We need to bring our research out from the ivory tower to be commercialised. It is no good to anyone to have great ideas that never get applied. That continuum of excellent science and relevance leading to commercialisation is the right approach. Other countries admire us because we are getting a better impact from our budgets than most other countries. That has been demonstrated. We are still top of many ranges in terms of scientific research. We are improving our ranking in terms of scientific research, measured by publications and all of the scientific excellence instruments that are used.