Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
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Question 600: To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources the position regarding the establishment of energy research and technology centres by international institutions here; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6068/10]

Eamon Ryan (Dublin South, Green Party)
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The Report of the Irish Energy Research Council identified the need for Irish research funders and researchers to engage in co-ordination, networking, and collaboration in relation to their energy research activities. The Council recommended that the development of such links with relevant institutions and bodies should be encouraged and promoted on the island, at both EU and IEA level and internationally. Irish energy researchers collaborate internationally on an ongoing basis and, in some cases, Irish third level institutions are partners in formal arrangements with such international institutions for the purposes of specific research projects, particularly where EU research funding is concerned.

The establishment of energy research and technology centres in Ireland by international institutions and entities, is a development to be welcomed from both an energy policy and enterprise perspective. I am supportive of such initiatives based on a fully cohesive approach which ensures complementarity and added value in terms of enhancing Ireland's energy research capability.