Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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97. To ask the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the number of research positions supported by funding schemes operated by his Department, by agency and by year, for each of the past five years. [17122/15]

Damien English (Meath West, Fine Gael)
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Responsibility for the operation of research funding schemes lies primarily with Science Foundation Ireland. Enterprise Ireland implements a number of funding programmes which also support researchers.

Research positions supported by SFI funded schemes:

Research positions supported by EI funded programmes:

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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98. To ask the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the number of submissions he has received concerning the new science strategy. [17123/15]

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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100. To ask the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation if he has met with the originators of a recent public letter protesting against the impact of changes in research policy. [17125/15]

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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103. To ask the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation if he has provided a commitment to all organisations involved in awarding publicly-funded research that they will be treated equally in relation to participation in the drafting and consideration of the new science strategy. [17128/15]

Damien English (Meath West, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 98, 100 and 103 together.

Stakeholder and public consultation is an important element of the process in the development of a successor to the Strategy for Science, Technology & Innovation. Some 77 submissions in response to the consultation paper have been received including the open letter from "Irish Scientists for Basic Research". I have written to the organiser of the open letter offering to meet to discuss the issues raised.

To ensure its development benefits from a whole of Government perspective, formulation of the new Strategy has been tasked to an Interdepartmental Committee on Science, Technology and Innovation, which comprises membership from research funding Government Departments and the Higher Education Authority, along with the Chief Scientific Adviser to the Government. The Committee, which has met five times since January, is working in close collaboration to explore in detail the important issues and policy questions that need to be addressed in drafting the new Strategy. As part of its work, the Committee is considering the outcomes and emerging findings of relevant consultations/studies, and is also examining the submissions received in response to the consultation paper.