Science: State expenditure on science is up across all Departments in the 2005 Estimates with additional spending pushing past 2004 figures by more than €50 million. Dick Ahlstrom, Science Editor, reports.
Only the State Laboratory recorded a lower figure with a planned fall in capital spending of about 2 per cent.
A big increase was recorded for Science Foundation Ireland, administered by the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, Mr Martin. Its capital spending allocation rose by €15 million or 9 per cent from €201.334 million to €218.577 million.
Research programmes within the Department of Education and Science also received a substantial increase with an additional €17.8 million or 35 per cent increase.
The schemes to benefit are the Programme for Research in Third Level Institutions and the research councils for science and for the humanities. Funding went from €50.713 million in 2004 to €68.5 million for the coming year.
The Marine Institute registered a 20 per cent increase in funding. The research body supported by the Department of Communications, the Marine and Natural Resources saw its budget rise from €18.956 million to €22.823 million in the Estimates.
A smaller increase was seen at Teagasc, the agricultural and food research body, which saw a 6 per cent increase from €105.592 million to €111.406 million.