Professor Willie Donnelly:

I will explain it to the Deputy. First and foremost, the intellectual property policy that was from 2004 was a recommendation. If the Deputy reads the IP policy, he can see that it says that the policy, which is a recommendation, should not be taken in isolation. It needs to be taken in the context of the structures and infrastructure being in place to support the development of the IP policy.

Two other dates are important. In 2006, the Institutes of Technology Act 2006 gave institutes of technology authority to be engaged in spin-out companies. Second, the tech transfer, or technology transfer strengthening initiative, in 2007 was the first investment nationally in developing the IP management infrastructure to support the 2004 recommendations. WIT was the only institute of technology along with the Dublin Institute of Technology, DIT, to receive funding for a tech transfer office. The tech transfer manager was hired in 2008.