Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Enterprise Ireland has €17 million in savings on the capital expenditure side. A sizeable portion of the capital funding provisions across Enterprise Ireland, IDA Ireland and Science Foundation Ireland are multi-annual in nature. Typically, the agency's capital programme awards span a three to four-year period and sometimes longer. For example, it is a six-year period in the case of SFI research centres. As such, the answer is yes, the bulk of unspent capital moneys through Enterprise Ireland this year will come from multi-annual commitments. Therefore, the commitments will roll over into 2018. As I mentioned, the Enterprise Ireland grant funding model is based on expenditure claims being submitted by the client companies at a time that best suits them. The timing of claim submissions will not always fall neatly or dovetail exactly with Enterprise Ireland's financial profiles. In addition, the grant commitments come with terms and conditions attached and funding is provided on a phased basis. Of the savings of €30 million in Enterprise Ireland, €13 million comes from its own resources. It is money it has got back and which it must spend before it can draw down Government funding. It has done very well in being able to generate €13 million from its own resources. The €17 million is partly made up of €12 million from the regional fund which will be announced on Monday. It took a little longer to launch and receive and assess the applications which all had to be rigorously assessed. They will be announced on Monday, which is the reason there is a saving. The €12 million had been allocated in this year's budget and, as such, had not been drawn down. It will be possible to start straightaway in January; I doubt that they will manage it before Christmas. The other €5 million is from a number of programmes where projects were not finished on time and the money is being carried over. The promoters will be getting thd money next year.