Minister for Health and Children Mary Harney today announced the allocation of €10 million capital for 2005 to the Health Research Board (HRB).
Ms Harney said it was the highest level of capital funding ever provided to the HRB in one year.
Speaking at the HRB Clinician Scientists Awards in Dublin, the Minister said: "The increases in funding in recent years for the HRB - of over 300% in revenue funding alone between 1999 and 2005 - is testimony to Government's recognition of the importance of research to both health and the wider economy.
She said the level of investment by the Government supports the recommendations of the key report, " Making Knowledge Work for Health? A Strategy for Health Research" published in 2001.
"In that document the Government recognised the importance of research as a key factor in promoting health, combating disease, reducing disability and improving quality of care and increasing effectiveness and efficiency in the Health service," she said.
The HRB says the Clinician Scientists Awards are "designed to tap the research potential in hospitals by giving consultants 'time out' to carry out high-level international research".
The two €3 million awards this year went Dr Joseph Keane, St James's Hospital for research related to development of new treatment and vaccine strategies for Tuberculosis and Dr Mary Cannon, Department of Psychiatry, Royal College of Surgeons, Dublin for research related to early detection and prevention of schizophrenia.
