SCIENCE and technology face a make or break" time in 1996, when the Government must begin to deliver on the recommendations of recent reports, the Minister of State for Commerce, Science and Technology, Mr Pat Rabbitte, has warned.
Mr Rabbitte wants an extra £10 million this year to "kick start" the priority recommendations in last year's STIAC (Science, Technology and Innovation Advisory Council) report and help create more jobs and better jobs". The Cabinet is expected to make a final decision on the report within the next few weeks.
The Minister cited an audit which estimated spending by government and business on science and technology at £650 million in 1994. Last year, it is thought this figure rose to £750 million.
This level of spending put Ireland just ahead of the "laggards" in international comparisons, he said. With a total expenditure of 1.2 per cent of GDP on research and development, compared to an EU average of 1.96 per cent, Ireland ranked 18th out of 22 western countries.
