Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 150: To ask the Minister for Health and Children if she will ensure that the Health Research Board is maintained as a separate entity in order to ensure continued funding of health research which is matched by private fund-raising by a number of medical research charities; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [39277/09]

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

The Report of the Special Group on Public Service Numbers and Expenditure Programmes made recommendations with regard to the Health Research Board. These were linked to wider recommendations around the science, technology and innovation activities of other Government Departments and research agencies. The Government will consider the full range of relevant issues in assessing this recommendation.

In any event I can assure all concerned of the Government's commitment to health research. The benefits of high quality health research activity have been highlighted by the Government in for example, Building Ireland's Smart Economy and the Revised Programme for Government. Just today I published an Action Plan for Health Research which sets out a range of actions to further improve the quality and extent of health research. The Action Plan contains a commitment to continuing close liaison with the voluntary sector, in particular medical charities.