THE Government invested £750.3 million in science and technology last year, according to the annual Science Budget.
However, the level of investment as a proportion of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) is still only half the EU average.
Last year's expenditure represents an 8.3 per cent increase over 1994, reflecting an increasing awareness of the importance of science and technology (S & T) in industrial development.
The Science Budget, which is compiled by the State agency, Forfas, is to be presented to the Oireachtas later this month by the Minister of State for Commerce, Science and Technology, Mr Pat Rabbitte.
Mr Rabbitte will also present a series of recommendations to Cabinet within the next three months which are expected to involve a major overhaul of S & T policy during, the next 19 years.
Last year's import from the Science Technology and Innovation Advisory Council under Mr Dan Tierney made 160 recommendations, and a committee of senior public servants and industrialists chaired by the chief executive of Forfas, Mr John Travers was set up to supervise the report's implementation.
The recommendations of the Travers committee have been approved by a Cabinet subcommittee, chaired by Mr Rabbitte.
The purpose of the Science Budget, a copy of which has been seen by The Irish Times is to bring "decision makers, members of the Oireachtas and the public" up to date on the development of State supported science and technology.
Government funds for S & T come from three sources the Exchequer, the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and income earned by the agencies or departments implementing S & T programmes.
EU structural funds channelled through, the ERDF amounted to £79 million of total expenditure last year, much of it allocated to research and development.
The Government made financial allocations to 45 institutions, including government departments, offices and agencies wholly or partly engaged in scientific or technological activities.
The £750.3 million total represents an increase of £57.2 million on 1994. It includes £517 million which came directly from public funds and £155 million in non Exchequer income mainly fees earned by Government agencies for the performance of S & T activities.
Direct Government funds for third level research in the science and engineering areas amounted to £5 million last year compared with £2 million in 1988 and £3.6 million in 1993.
The Government also supports university research indirectly through the block grant to colleges this amounted to £28 million in 1995.
The total allocation to research and development (R & D) last year was £148 million. This reversed the decline which took place between 1993 and 1994, when expenditure dropped from £128 million to £120 million.
"While R & D is not the largest component of the Science Budget it is arguably the most significant one, the Forfas document states.
It goes on to point out that the Tierney Report had criticised the relatively low level of investment in R & D in Ireland, particularly in the business sector, and called on Government and industry to address this issue as a matter of urgency.
Another significant development noted by the Science Budget was the introduction by the Department of Agriculture, Food and Forestry of a programme to support R & D in the food sector.
Under this £42 million six year plan, research projects beneficial to the food industry will be commissioned at colleges and research institutes.
But the Science Budget points out that the contribution from Exchequer funds per se to S & T has been declining from 87 per cent in 1980 to 69 per cent in 1985.