This week is Science Week, and we all share a belief in the fundamental value of research, innovation, discovery and teaching. We want to be positive about this, particularly in Science Week. However, we must also be realistic and, unfortunately, the rhetoric is not always based on fact. The Government's Innovation 2020 programme commits to a goal of 2.5% of GDP funding for research and development by 2020. We are barely halfway there. We hit 1.42% recently. The Nevin Economic Research Institute flagged this earlier this year as a serious risk to our economic progress. The Department's own figures suggest we are at the bottom of the European league table, and the Minister of State, Deputy Halligan, admitted the same - that the target will not be met - at a budget night briefing. How does the Taoiseach propose to address this gap?

The figure the Deputy mentioned is 2.5% of GDP. That is €5 billion. That is a lot of money, and the country has many demands and other priorities at present, not least housing and some of the other issues others have raised.

Has the Government changed the targets?

Deputy, please.

I cannot give the Deputy a timeline for this. What I can say is that we have moved from 30th place in the world in science and innovation up to tenth place, so we have made a lot of progress.

That is debatable.

Being able to set aside €5 billion for research and development, particularly in light of the enormous demands that we face in housing, health care and other areas, is going to take some time.