Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
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Question 204: To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources the additional funding being made available by the Government to the Geological Service of Ireland for permanent and temporary staff to implement the recently announced national geoscience programme; and the other funding that has been sourced for this programme. [19199/07]

Eamon Ryan (Dublin South, Green Party)
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The National Geoscience Programme sets out a sectoral vision for geoscience over the period 2007-2013 and covers research, services, education and outreach on an all-island basis. It was published jointly by the Royal Irish Academy and the Geological Survey of Ireland (GSI), a division of my Department, and can be viewed at www.gsi.ie. Geoscience was recognised as a priority theme in the Strategy for Science, Technology and Innovation, 2006 (SSTI). My predecessor, in launching the National Geoscience Programme last February, announced two initiatives to ensure its effective implementation: The Griffith Geoscience Research Awards, tenable at universities in Ireland and Northern Ireland, and for which funding of €10 million is being provided over the period 2007-2013. The call for proposals under this scheme has been successful. I expect to announce the successful contractors later this week and they will be employing a significant number of new geoscience researchers. Provision of web-enabled access to GSI databases free of charge. The first phase of this substantial undertaking has already been delivered ahead of schedule (see www.gsi.ie) and it has been funded from existing resources at a cost of approximately €500,000. Later phases will be similarly funded with the aim of making all GSI data available over the web by the end of 2008. It is anticipated that one or two researchers will be deployed at GSI under the Griffith Scheme to investigate innovative methods to add value to its data holdings.

In addition funding has been provided under the National Development Plan (NDP) to the Geological Survey of Ireland (GSI) to implement elements of the National Geoscience Programme. A total of €33 million has been allocated, of which €28 million will fund the INFOMAR Programme being jointly undertaken by the GSI and the Marine Institute. Several staff have been employed on contract for the INFOMAR Programme and are employed by the Marine Institute. In addition GSI has recently advertised for up to 10 contract and consultant positions in order to manage the NDP Projects. Additional funding will be provided through the Environmental Protection Agency for a project on carbon sequestration under the SSTI and in which GSI is participating.