Brian Hayes (Dublin South West, Fine Gael)
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Question 135: To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources his views on whether the cut in energy research funding in budget 2009 is a retrograde step in advancing Ireland's economic competitiveness and in promoting Ireland as a centre of energy research excellence; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37203/08]

Eamon Ryan (Dublin South, Green Party)
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The Energy Policy Framework and the Programme for Government underline the Government's priority commitment to energy research development and innovation in line also with EU priorities. The Science, Technology and Innovation Strategy and the National Development Plan both reflect the vital importance of energy research and innovation to underpin the energy sector and the imperative to deliver sustainable, competitive and secure energy supplies for the economy and society. Our ambitious renewable energy and energy efficiency targets in particular require a significant ramping up of basic and applied energy research and innovation.

I am satisfied that the resources in the 2009 Vote of my Department for energy research and development, and funding available for Science Foundation Ireland (SFI), will enable the delivery on key priorities notwithstanding the difficult economic and budgetary circumstances. Building national energy research capacity and capability has been identified as an area for priority attention. The Charles Parsons Awards, launched in 2006, will see €20 million in public funding over the period 2007 to 2012 to progressively develop energy research capacity in third level institutions.

I have also announced a major programme to develop ocean energy in Ireland for which funding will continue to be provided for in 2009. This programme supports research, applied research and grants for commercialisation. It includes a feed-in-tariff price offering a guaranteed return to producers for electricity produced in due course from ocean energy. The newly established Ocean Energy Development Unit in SEI will have a central role in overseeing this Programme, operating with the support of the Marine Institute and ESB International.

In March this year the Government expanded the remit of Science Foundation Ireland to include a third research pillar on sustainable energy and energy-efficient technologies as strategic areas of scientific endeavour, as promised in the Programme for Government. This followed on an agreement between myself and the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment to combine resources and to target a world-class research capacity investment of at least €90 million by SFI over the period to 2013. SFI has been very successful in building Ireland's research capacity in the fields of information and communications technology and biotechnology. The expanded remit of SFI to embrace sustainable energy and efficient-energy technologies is a vital step for Irish Energy Research.

All frontier and basic energy research will be brought under SFI's remit, enabling it to build a world-class research capacity in these areas and in addition provide a solid basis to address Ireland's challenges in the sustainable energy field. Taken together, the Charles Parsons awards and the SFI third pillar comprise the foundation stone for Ireland to become a centre of energy research excellence in certain key fields of high priority to our energy needs.