James Lawless (Kildare North, Fianna Fail)
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852. To ask the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the total research and development Exchequer funding in each of the years from 2011 to 2016 to date in monetary terms and as a percentage of GDP, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [24200/16]

Mary Mitchell O'Connor (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael)
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The Deputy asked for Exchequer funding on R&D, which for official statistics purposes is referred to as GBARD (Government Budget Allocations on R&D). GBARD comprises total government funding on R&D (all monies dedicated to R&D and channelled via research agencies/organisations). These official data are collected by my Department. GBARD fell from €787m in 2011 to €722m in 2013, but have since increased to €735m in 2015. As a percentage of GDP, GBARD was 0.45% in 2011 and is now 0.30% in 2015, the drop again owing to rising GDP.

Of the total GBARD figure, expenditure on R&D performed within the government sector (GovERD - Government Expenditure on R&D), was €132m in 2011 and has risen to €138m in 2015. This equates to 0.076% of GDP in 2011, but owing to rising GDP during this period, the 2015 percentage has fallen to 0.057%.

Gross expenditure on R&D (GERD), comprising all R&D public and private expenditure on R&D in the economy now stands at some €3.1 billion, equating to 1.27% of GDP.

Final allocations for 2016 are being collected by my Department and will be available in the autumn.

Table 1: Exchequer Funding on R&D in Monetary Terms and as a % of GDP

Source: Strategic Policy Division Surveys Unit, Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation.