Written answers
Wednesday, 6 May 2009
Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment
Departmental Agencies
8:00 pm
Brian Hayes (Dublin South West, Fine Gael)
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Question 120: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the cost of running the Science Foundation Ireland administration since it was established; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17694/09]
Mary Coughlan (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)
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Since its establishment in 2000, initially as a sub- committee as Forfás and subsequently on a statutory basis under the Industrial Development (Science Foundation Ireland) Act, 2003, Science Foundation Ireland's (SFI) focus has been clearly on research excellence to enhance Ireland's human capital in strategic areas of scientific endeavour relevant to the future competitiveness of Irish industry and enterprise. SFI invests in building world-class research teams, increasing the number of high quality researchers in Ireland and through these teams the output of new knowledge, opportunities and talented people including a stream of PhDs. The SFI administration costs over the period 2000-2008 is as set out in the table below.
| 2000/1 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | |
| €m | €m | €m | €m | €m | €m | €m | €m | |
| Pay | 0.4 | 0.9 | 1.0 | 1.3 | 2.7 | 3.2 | 3.5 | 4.4 |
| Non-pay | 2.2 | 3.1 | 3.4 | 3.8 | 4.6 | 4.5 | 4.8 | 5.0 |
| Total Administration costs per annum | 2.6 | 4.0 | 4.4 | 5.1 | 7.3 | 7.7 | 8.3 | 9.4 |
| SFI Capital expenditure | 8.8 | 31.0 | 65.0 | 108.5 | 122.2 | 139.8 | 155.7 | 161.0 |
| Administrative costs as a % of overall SFI expenditure | 22.8% | 11.4% | 6.3% | 4.5% | 5.6% | 5.2% | 5.1% | 5.5% |
At the end of 2008 SFI was directly supporting a total of 2,650 researchers engaged in high quality international peer reviewed research. SFI research teams leverage further non-SFI funding that supports an additional 1,537 researchers in industry.
SFI is connecting its funded research teams with industry primarily through its Centres for Science, Engineering and Technology (CSETs) programme and the Strategic Research Clusters (SRCs) programme. SFI is currently supporting 9 CSETs and 17 SRCs. It is through these industry-embedded research groups, which are formally linked to over 123 multinational and small to medium high-tech enterprises that SFI is supporting the retention of employment of over 53,000 people in high-value jobs in Ireland.
Furthermore, the SFI funded research groups have also been integral to IDA Ireland's strategy of attracting more R&D-based foreign direct investment to Ireland and are underpinning the significant IDA wins in R&D in recent years. In 2008 alone just over 40% of the IDA's client portfolio of awards made had a significant R&D component, which is a direct consequence of the Government's significant investment in the science arena in recent years, primarily through SFI.
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