John Deasy (Waterford, Fine Gael)
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Question 97: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the number of businesses in Waterford city and Dungarvan approved for funding under the enterprise stabilisation fund; the amount of funding involved; the number of jobs created by this funding; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [46888/09]

Mary Coughlan (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)
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The provision of grant assistance to individual companies is a matter for the development agency or body concerned, and not one in which I have any function. However, I have been informed by Enterprise Ireland, that approximately €56m has been approved under the Enterprise Stabilisation Fund, of which €50m will be paid out this year. To date, €42m has been paid to applicants under this fund. Enquiries have also been received from a further 100 companies. However, these enquiries have not as yet progressed to formal applications. 10 projects have not been successful and alternative options have been examined for these companies. To date, there have been 2 successful companies, employing 82 people, approved for funding under the Enterprise Stabilisation Fund from Waterford City and County, totalling €940,000.

John Deasy (Waterford, Fine Gael)
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Question 98: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the number of businesses in Waterford city and Dungarvan approved for funding under the growth fund in each of the past three years and to date in 2009; the amount of funding involved; the number of jobs created by this funding; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [46889/09]

John Deasy (Waterford, Fine Gael)
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Question 99: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the number of businesses in Waterford city and Dungarvan approved for company expansion funding by Enterprise Ireland in each of the past three years and to date in 2009; the amount of funding involved; the number of jobs created by this funding; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [46890/09]

John Deasy (Waterford, Fine Gael)
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Question 100: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the number of businesses in Waterford city and Dungarvan approved for funding by Enterprise Ireland in each of the past three years and to date in 2009 under its schemes for exploring new opportunities; the amount of funding involved; the number of jobs created by this funding; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [46891/09]

Mary Coughlan (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 98 to 100, inclusive, together.

The provision of grant assistance to individual companies is a matter for the development agency or body concerned, and not one in which I have a direct function. Details of monies approved under the Growth Fund, launched in 2008, are available on a county basis only. Enterprise Ireland approved support of €799,394 to three companies in Waterford in 2008. In 2009 to date, Enterprise Ireland approved support of €481,791 to two companies in Waterford.

Funding for company expansion is designed to assist companies' expansion plans – this includes capital, training and employment supports, the focus of which is to increase exports. Since the beginning of 2006, Enterprise Ireland has approved support of €750,290 for four company expansion projects to three companies in Waterford. In 2006, Enterprise Ireland approved support of €310,527 to a company in Waterford, while in 2009 to date €439,763 was approved for two companies in Waterford.

Funding for exploring new opportunities is focused on investigating new ideas and markets as an essential aspect of business development. Enterprise Ireland provides financial assistance in a range of areas including support for: Feasibility Study Grants, Going Global (for Irish services companies), Commercialisation of Research and Development (CORD), Enterprise Platform Programme, GreenTech Support, EU 7th Framework Programme Support, Market Research, R & D Stimulation, Consultancy, Business Acceleration Programme (BAP), Graduate Placements, Export Orientation Programme (EOP), Mentors, Trade Fair participation, Supply Chain Management and eBusiness Management.

Since the beginning of 2006, Enterprise Ireland has approved funding to a total of 89 companies for 143 projects under 'Exploring New Opportunities' amounting to €2,615,689 in Waterford. In 2006, Enterprise Ireland approved €548,963 to 31 companies. In 2007, Enterprise Ireland approved €703,692 to 35 companies. In 2008, Enterprise Ireland approved €879,185 to 42 companies. In 2009 to date, Enterprise Ireland has approved €483,849 to 28 companies.

John Deasy (Waterford, Fine Gael)
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Question 101: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the number of businesses in Waterford city and Dungarvan approved for funding by Enterprise Ireland in each of the past three years and to date in 2009 under its schemes for research and development; the amount of funding involved; the number of jobs created by this funding; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [46892/09]

Conor Lenihan (Dublin South West, Fianna Fail)
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The drive to encourage Irish companies to use science and technology to increase competitiveness and value added is a significant pillar of Government Policy, as recognised in the Strategy for Science, Technology and Innovation and the Smart Economy Framework.

Ireland drives in-company Research & Development through a number of programmes administered through Enterprise Ireland. R&D funding for companies is one instrument of support for EI clients, which is used in conjunction with a range of soft and other financial supports such as Management Development and Productions Capability, to drive the development of indigenous companies. During 2009, funding for programmes of R&D activity in enterprise is projected to reach an investment level of €61m for companies, representing an increase of approximately 13% on 2008. This level of funding will be maintained in 2010. Companies in Waterford have benefited from R&D support as follows: · In 2006 three companies in Waterford were approved for in-company R&D support worth €1,034,502. · In 2007 one company in Waterford was approved for in-company R&D support worth €97,360 · In 2008 seven companies in Waterford were approved for in-company R&D support worth €1,145,591 · In 2009 three companies in Waterford were approved for in-company R&D support worth €336,907.

Enterprise Ireland also offers schemes whereby a Higher Education Institution is supported to undertake an R&D project on behalf of a company. In this way companies who do not have the necessary in-house capabilities to undertake specific R&D projects can source these R&D solutions from Universities or Institutes of Technology. One such industry-academic collaborative support is the Innovation Partnership programme: · In 2006 one company engaged in such a project and the collaborative college was approved for €87,280.00 in order to meet the industry partner's R&D needs. · In 2007 six companies engaged in collaborative projects and the partnering colleges were approved for €818,969 in order to meet the industry partners' R&D needs. · In 2008 one company engaged in a collaborative project and the partnering college was approved for €272,408 in order to meet the industry partner's R&D needs. · In 2009 three companies engaged in collaborative project and the partnering colleges were approved for €381,329 in order to meet the industry partners' R&D needs.

Another industry-academic collaborative support is Enterprise Ireland's Innovation Voucher Initiative which provides vouchers worth €5,000 to small businesses to introduce them to innovation by linking them with a network of 38 knowledge providers, North and South of the border. A simple application process and facilitation support from Enterprise Ireland can help small companies who have never engaged in research to engage high skilled researchers to address key company needs and provide innovative solutions to business problems.

This scheme commenced in 2007 whereby 27 Waterford companies received Vouchers worth a total of €135,000.

In 2008 25 Waterford companies received 27 Vouchers worth €135,000

In 2009 53 Waterford companies received 57 Vouchers worth €285,000.

It is clear that the global economic crisis is having a pronounced effect on the open Irish economy and accordingly in employment creation, particularly in sectors with limited R&D investment such as construction. The Government is keenly focused on supporting Irish enterprise with the ultimate goal of export growth, and subsequently sustainable employment. An analysis of Enterprise Ireland's client base in 2009 shows that Small and Medium Enterprise who invest in R&D enjoy significantly greater rates of growth in both employment and sales and exports than those who do not undertake R&D. The results of this survey are evident in the performance of companies based in Waterford, while enterprises in Waterford suffered an overall loss in employment over the period, a total of 1,339 jobs were created by Enterprise Ireland client companies based in the county.

John Deasy (Waterford, Fine Gael)
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Question 102: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the number of businesses in Waterford city and Dungarvan approved for grant aid by the Industrial Development Authority Ireland in each of the past three years and to date in 2009; the breakdown by each category of grant; the amount of funding involved; the number of jobs created by this funding; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [46893/09]

Mary Coughlan (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)
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The amount of grant aid awarded by IDA Ireland to businesses in Waterford City and Dungarvan from 2006 to date in 2009 are shown in the attached tabular statements. In this period, a total of 25 businesses availed of such grants. The attached tabular statements give the breakdown of the grants given to these businesses. Job announcements associated with these grants are typically created over a period of between three and five years and grant payments are paid as jobs are created and the company makes a claim.

Grant Payments to companies in Dungarvan and Waterford City

2007 Grant Payments to companies in Dungarvan and Waterford City

2008 Grant Payments to companies in Dungarvan and Waterford City

2009 Grant Payments to companies in Dungarvan and Waterford City

Number of new jobs created in Waterford from 2006 to 2008

Arthur Morgan (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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Question 103: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the number of itineraries she has, through the Industrial Development Authority, hosted by potential investors in each county to date in 2009; and for each of the past ten years; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [46933/09]

Mary Coughlan (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)
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IDA Ireland have only collated the figures on the number of itineraries to each county since 2003. Therefore, details of such itineraries prior to 2003 are not available. I am informed by IDA that to date in 2009, the Agency hosted a total of 1740 itineraries by potential investors to Ireland since 2003. The attached tabular statement gives the breakdown of these itineraries by county.

These figures are not indicative of the number of companies that visited the country. Companies can visit more than one region and more than one location within a county. Therefore, these figures indicate the number of individual site visits made to various sites around the country.