Denis Naughten (Roscommon-South Leitrim, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 185: To ask the Minister for Health and Children the funding provided for research into Friedreich's ataxia; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22325/09]

Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Progressive Democrats)
Link to this: Individually | In context

The Health Research Board (HRB) is the statutory agency with responsibility for funding health research in Ireland with a view to improving health and health outcomes. In line with best practice, all HRB funding is awarded based on the principles of open competition and international peer review and assessed against specific explicit criteria. The HRB has worked closely with the Medical Research Charities Group to (a) increase the amount of funding available to support research projects relevant to charities and specifically for rare diseases and (b) develop a research management capacity among research charities. To date, very few grant applications dealing exclusively with Friedrich's Ataxia have been received by the HRB, and none has been successful.