Tommy Broughan (Dublin Bay North, Independent)
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424. To ask the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation if she will provide the most up to date per capita spend on public sector research and development; the position of Ireland in this regard among the OECD and EU nations; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [9351/17]

Mary Mitchell O'Connor (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael)
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Ireland spent $197 (PPP adjusted) per person in 2015 on R&D compared with $246 (PPP) per person in EU 28 countries and $276 (PPP) per person for total OECD countries.  Ireland's per capita Government allocations to R&D equate to approximately 80% of those of other EU28 countries and 71% of OECD countries.

The Government's budget for research and development increased by 1.3% in 2015 over the previous year to €736m and is estimated to have increased again in 2016 by 3.2% with allocated funding of €761m. Innovation 2020, Ireland's cross-governmental strategy for Research and Development, Science and Technology, commits all Government Departments to increase overall levels of investment in the area of research, year on year, to 2020.

Innovation 2020 is based on a shared vision of Ireland becoming a Global Innovation Leader, driving a strong, sustainable, high employment economy and a better society. This strategy, led by my Department, sets out a roadmap to deliver on our vision and focuses on the excellence of our research, the development of our talent and the impact of our investment. Continued implementation of Innovation 2020 will enable us to further narrow the gap with the world’s most innovative countries and drive our objective of becoming a global innovation leader.

Total Government Budget Allocations for Research and Development - GBARD 

Source:  Mains Science & Technology Indicators, OECD, 2016/2

These figures relate to the total Government allocations for R&D.  Included is funding for research in the higher education sector (administered by the Higher Education Authority, Science Foundation Ireland etc.), in the business sector (administered by Enterprise Ireland, IDA Ireland etc) and carried out in Government Agencies (e.g. Teagasc, The Marine Institute).