Council advises on £815m science budget

The body set up to advise Government on science policy has recommended sweeping changes in how the State's £815 million science budget is spent. The Irish Council for Science, Technology and Innovation calls for investment at all educational levels, significant State funding to offset a research "equipment crisis" in third-level institutions and more funding to help companies improve competitiveness through research.

In its first report to the Minister of State for Science and Technology, Mr Michael Smith, the council highlights deficiencies in science and research spending and advises on how to correct these problems.

"There is general acceptance that science and technology is now in the mainstream and how we manage our science and technology strategy will influence competitiveness and job creation in Ireland," Dr Edward Walsh, council chairman, said.

The council, set up by statute earlier this year, advises on science policy. The change in government in June cast doubts on its existence but this uncertainty was soon dispelled and Dr Walsh has met Mr Smith, who will draw on the council's expertise.

The Minister recently received the first preliminary policy report, Dr Walsh said. It includes several provisions that would require additional State funding or a reallocation of funds already available in the education and science sectors. The timing of its delivery will affect departmental estimates and preparations for the Budget later this year.

The report sees State investment in science as essential to improving the Republic's international competitiveness. "We have urged the Minister to consider priority-driven investment in science and technology," Dr Walsh said. This means identifying research areas of international importance, and enhancing strengths in these areas.

The State exported 70 per cent of everything it produced, he said, so research investment had to be relevant and match research activities to developing international markets. "You have to have a certain percentage of your funding in blue-skies research," he said, but not all of it. This basic research needed to be scrutinised as did applied research investment.

Most research spending here supported applied research. But research areas needed to be examined so that investment could be "optimised".

The council welcomed the Government's "farsighted" £30 million investment in computer technology for schools. The educational sector particularly concerned the council, however, and more investment was needed.

He cited a recent international survey of maths and science skills among first-year students, which ranked Ireland as 15th and 18th respectively. The Pacific Rim tiger economies of Singapore, Korea, Japan and Hong Kong were ranked first to fourth. There was a strong correlation, he said, between these skills and economic strength.

The council recommended more science and maths at primary level to improve scientific literacy. The State already spent £750 million on primary education so the money was already available to make changes, he said.

While the council "endorsed" the Government's plan to create 1,000 extra places at third level to address specific skills shortages, it said the "equipment crisis" was serious. "The equipment crisis is seen as an immediate obstacle to progress," Dr Walsh said. Estimates suggested that up to £50 million would have to be spent immediately to overcome this threat to competitiveness.

The overall education budget was worth £2.3 billion, Dr Walsh said. "If you are prepared to do the difficult thing and reallocate funds" then the resources could be found to circumvent this "real impediment".

The report recommends increasing the State allocation for basic research from £2 million to £6 million, in line with the Tierney report on science. It also calls for an increase in the £2,000 annual grant made available to keep graduates in research. It also highlighted the need to strengthen links between third-level researchers and industry.

In this regard it recommends that an extra £12 million be found during 1998 to support research in industry. Only half of all Irish companies conduct research and only 20 per cent of the total conducted serious research. The new funding should be biased towards companies using research to improve long-term competitiveness.

Under Dr Walsh's chairmanship, the council had been subdivided into three task forces looking at science budget priorities, at new and emerging technologies and at innovation. These groups would act as "hunting packs", pursuing well-defined issues and looking for changes to improve the value of investment and enhance competitiveness.

"We [the council] should be action-orientated. If we have a problem we shouldn't go to the Minister without a solution," Dr Walsh said. "We have to bring forward in a simple and coherent way the issues and how they should be tackled."