Paul Gogarty (Dublin Mid West, Green Party)
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Question 68: To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the timeline and content of the Government's proposed research and innovation strategy and the material contribution it will make to reach the target set by the EU's Lisbon Strategy of increasing economy-wide research and development spending to 2.5 per cent of gross national product by 2013. [23950/06]

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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The Government launched its Strategy for Science, Technology and Innovation 2006-13 on Sunday morning last and copies of the Strategy have been laid before the Houses of the Oireachtas. The timeline of the Strategy is an eight-year one, to 2013 and resources of €192 million up to and including 2008 have been provided to enable work on delivering the Strategy to commence with immediate effect.

Advancing the knowledge economy and building world class people and enterprises with the drive and resources to succeed are among the key pillars of the Strategy which covers all sectors in which research, technology development and innovation have a role to play. The Strategy sets out a vision for Ireland as "internationally renowned for the excellence of its research by 2013, to the forefront in generating and using new knowledge for economic and social progress, within an innovation driven culture". It then clearly identifies the challenges ahead and the practical steps which we need to take to deliver on this vision.

The Strategy clearly identifies how we should develop a world class research system. This will involve us doubling the number of PhDs, addressing the need to capture, protect and commercialise knowledge generated from publicly funded and collaborative research, and providing supports and encouragement for industry to dramatically grow expenditure on R&D to €2.5bn per annum by 2013. It tackles the need to promote science as a subject and a career choice among our young people and the need to give teachers the skills to do this. It also covers the whole range of research-performing sectors and focuses on the, potential in areas like health, agri-food and forestry, energy, marine and environment and the potential synergies between these sectors. It also underlines the importance to Ireland of international collaboration and enhanced cooperation on STI issues on the island of Ireland. The aim is to demonstrate clearly that Ireland is an excellent place to do world class research.

Targets and indicators in respect of the key issues have to be set out in the Strategy. These will continue to be monitored and fine-tuned as necessary, under the direction of the Cabinet Committee on STI which I chair. This ongoing monitoring will ensure that the important whole of Government approach adopted in preparation is maintained throughout the period of delivery of the Strategy.

With regard to the EU's Lisbon agenda target for expenditure on R&D, Ireland will continue to make a valuable contribution to the attainment of these goals over the period to 2013. The aim is that the implementation of the Strategy will result in the achievement of a spend of 2.5% of GNP by the public and private sector by 2013. The progress in this direction will be monitored throughout the period.