SFI and the budget
SFI and our sister agencies IDA and EI warranted a mention in the budget yesterday:
I am also maintaining our very significant investment in promoting the knowledge economy and enterprise development with a total of almost €500 million in Exchequer capital expenditure in 2009.
Of this total, I have provided over €300 million for the continued implementation of the Strategy for Science, Technology and Innovation to drive world class research and in-company Research and Development with a view to commercialising new ideas and know-how for the longer term benefit of the economy. We have allocated €179 million to Science Foundation Ireland in 2009, up from €172 million this year, while Enterprise Science Technology Innovation will receive a 2.5% year on year increase, bringing it to €127 million in 2009.
Ireland must continue to compete aggressively for overseas investment while supporting the indigenous sector. Enterprise Ireland and the IDA will be well placed in the coming year to ensure that export-led growth continues to underpin economic renewal. The Government will continue to promote research and development, innovation and commercialisation by private enterprise.
On a related matter, I notice that the Government has published a list of the 41 merged and annexed state agencies and quangos mentioned in the budget. On first reading, it look to me like none of these changes will have any direct impact on SFI. There is one, however, that might have a relatively minor impact on the HEA:
Amalgamation of the National Qualifications Authority of Ireland, the Higher Education and Training Awards Council and the Further Education and Training Awards Council. The new organisation will also take responsibility for the external quality assurance review of the universities, a function which is currently performed by the Irish Universities Quality Board and the Higher Education Authority. In seeking to ensure a coherent approach to qualifications and quality assurance, there will also be discussions with the National University of Ireland around the possibility of including some of the related functions of the NUI in the new organisation.