Ulick Burke (Fine Gael)

I wish to raise with the Deputy Leader the serious concerns recently expressed by the chairperson of the Irish Research Council for Science, Engineering and Technology, Professor Tom Mitchell, who is deeply worried about the further cutbacks which the Minister for Education and Science has made in the area of research for graduates. Most Members of the House would agree that the catalyst for industrial development in Ireland has been high skills and research in the field of technology. The fact that the Minister is cutting back funding this year from €19 million to €10.5 million is a cause of concern to those involved in the area. Research is in limbo. We have been informed that during the lifetime of the NDP overall spending will be cut back from €95 million to €60 million. This will reactivate the brain-drain. We must take immediate steps and request a response, both from the Minister for Education and Science and the Tánaiste because of her role in job creation.

Each day, we hear of job losses, generally to low labour cost areas in Europe and beyond. If we start to lose the high-tech industry, in which investment has yielded great value for money, we will be in serious trouble in any efforts to rekindle the economy and re-focus on the former Celtic tiger conditions. I ask the Deputy Leader to bring to the attention of the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the urgent need to bail out the Minister for Education and Science once again, as she did in the recent past. If she has a war chest, now is the time to indicate it. Against the background of spin doctoring of the bad news, it is time to investigate some of the funding referred to and restore the €9 million in the current year to allow research to continue in that area.

I request that time be allowed immediately for a debate on agriculture so that we can fully discuss the outcome of the EU Council of Agriculture Ministers' meetings over the last few weeks, which will have absolutely horrific effects on our economy, especially in rural areas. That will affect the dairy sector in particular, as the Cathaoirleach will be aware. It has been a hammer blow to that sector, which will accelerate, beyond belief, the flight from the land. It is a long time since confidence in agriculture has slumped to the present level. We are about to revert to a situation in which most young farmers, whose parents had invested heavily in the dairy sector, will have to turn their backs and walk away because of the non-profitability of this sector.