Development gamble will ‘pay off’

IRELAND’S investment of €2.5 billion under the National Development Plan for research will capture the imagination of the world, the director of Science Foundation Ireland (SFI) predicted at the weekend.

The massive budget is split between the SFI, the Higher Education Authority and Enterprise Ireland. SFI director general William Harris said this is an investment that will pay-off for the state.

"This is not a gamble but an investment based on a proven formula that will pay off," he predicted.