Paudge Connolly (Cavan-Monaghan, Independent)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 393: To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the progress Ireland has made towards the EU's target of three percent expenditure on research and development by 2010; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20606/06]

Michael Ahern (Cork East, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

The Deputy refers to the "Lisbon" agenda targets, aimed at making Europe more competitive and innovative on the world stage. The Government is highly conscious of the impact of R&D on international economic competitiveness and Ireland is playing its part in contributing significantly to European goals. Work by the EU Commission last year provided a timely review of progress towards achieving the Lisbon objectives and is a reminder of the challenge that faces all of us, in our efforts to drive investment in R&D and innovation.

The process of comprehensively addressing the R&D agenda was commenced by this Government under the current National Development Plan (NDP), 2000-2006. Within the current NDP, STI has become a major plank of this government's policy, underpinned by very significant resources of 2.5bn euro. The importance of ensuring greater coherence in the development of the overall national system of innovation and the value of a whole of government approach has also been recognized by this government. A Cabinet Subcommittee for STI, which my colleague Minister Micheál Martin chairs, serviced by an Interdepartmental committee lead by my Department, has been working actively for the past 18 months. Real achievements have been made, with real annual average growth in gross expenditure on R&D (GERD) for Ireland at 4.5% for 2001-2003 rising to 4.8% for 2003-2005. In GNP terms the ratio for GERD to GNP has increased continually over recent years, rising from 1.3% in 2000 up to 1.45% in 2005.

Our ambition is to develop Ireland as a knowledge-based economy, renowned for the excellence of its research and to the forefront of generating and using new knowledge for social and economic progress within an innovation driven culture. To this end, my colleague, Minister Martin, will shortly be bringing forward to Government a Strategy on STI to 2013, which will drive this agenda forward. The Strategy will be a comprehensive, whole of government, response set in the context of the Lisbon Agenda. To achieve our goals, we need to make the next quantum leap forward. Making that vision a reality will require strategic investment and the Minister proposes to lead that investment.