Alan Farrell (Dublin Fingal, Fine Gael)
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50. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will provide details of the aims of the recently launched policy and strategic studies research call; the role it will play in meeting the needs of the agri-food, forest and bioeconomy sectors; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11930/23]

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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Research and innovation are fundamental to informing the scientific and evidence-base for designing and implementing effective policy that supports the agri-food sector in Ireland.

The Food Vision 2030 strategy envisages a more output-focussed collaborative research and innovation system, that is responsive and flexible to the needs of public policy development and implementation in support of a resilient agri-food sector and bioeconomy that is both competitive and sustainable.

The Policy and Strategic Studies Research Call (PSSRC) is a policy-orientated research Call that my Department piloted last year. It aims to initiate short- to medium-term research projects of up to two years in duration, on specific research questions identified and developed by my Department. The projects are designed to provide evidence that can inform strategic, regulatory and/or policy needs of the Department. The PSSRC also aims to enable closer collaboration between researchers and policymakers in my Department.

In recent weeks, my colleague Minister of State Martin Heydon, who has special responsibility for research and development, announced the 19 successful projects that were awarded funding of over €4.2 million from the 2022 PSSRC.

The projects cover a wide range of topics, such as an assessment of the greenhouse gas emission efficiencies of Irish beef and dairy systems; examining sustainable and equitable pathways for rural women in farming; the development of bioeconomy demonstration sites; or the development of a digital genome toolbox to support bovine tuberculosis eradication.

All the projects funded will contribute to the delivery of strategic research and policy priorities of my Department, whether in the Programme for Government, Food Vision 2030, the Climate Action Plan or elsewhere.