Michael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael)
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The funding provided for my Department's competitive research programme in 2017 amounts to €18.2 million. This funding covers the Food Institutional Research Measures (FIRM) €5.4m, Research Stimulus Funds (RSF) €11m and Competitive Forest Research for Development funds (CoFoRD) €1.8m.

The funding is provided, on a competitive basis, to public institutes in Ireland with a proven research performing capability, mainly Higher Education Institutes and research institutes and involves inter-institutional collaboration.

The research topics under FIRM cover food areas such as product development, processing, safety, nutrition and health encompassing both land and marine derived resources. Most of these projects are of 1-5 year duration.

Projects funded under RSF support sustainable and competitive agricultural production practices and policies and contribute to building and maintaining a knowledge economy and research capability in the agriculture sector. Most of these projects are funded for 3-5 years.

CoFoRD forestry research seeks to develop a scientific foundation and support for sustainable competitive, market orientated and innovative forestry industry. Projects are from 2 to 5 years duration.

I also provide €31.5m in funding to the Marine Institute to enable it to perform its core functions which include research and data collection underpinning the Common Fisheries Policy, coordinating, promoting and assisting in marine research and development and providing such services related to marine research and development that facilitate marine economic development while protecting the marine environment.

I have made a further €128.1m available to Teagasc which accounts for approximately 70% of its overall income in 2017. Its statutory role is the provision of integrated research, advisory and education services to the agriculture sector. An estimated €61.5m of Teagasc expenditure in 2017 is attributed to its research activities.