Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 71: To ask the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the extent to which Irish enterprise has made contact through his Department or directly with the relevant EU Commissioner with the objective of accessing the appropriate funding for job creation, innovation and technology; the number of projects to date approved under such heading; the number of projects, if known, pending; the extent to which Irish projects continue to compete for such funding with other EU member states both inside and outside the eurozone; the degree to which he expects a major breakthrough in this area in the future; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36017/11]

Seán Sherlock (Cork East, Labour)
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The Seventh EU Framework Programme for Research and Development (FP7), with a budget of over €50 billion for the period 2007 to 2013, is the EU's main instrument for funding research and development in Europe. In order to extract the maximum benefit from the opportunities available within FP7, a National Support Network has been put in place, headed by a National Director for FP7 based in Enterprise Ireland who leads a team of national contact points for various elements of the Programme. This support structure ensures that a coordinated and coherent approach is adopted towards FP7 across all of the Government Departments, agencies and other organisations involved. Through this support structure, a mix of guidance, advice and financial assistance is available to encourage researchers and companies, large and small, to avail of the opportunities within the Programme.

The latest available data in relation to participation by enterprise in FP7, from 2007 to April, 2011, illustrates the number of participations (applications), number of successful applications, number of specific companies and funding to those companies.

In the period from the beginning of 2007 when the Seventh Framework Programme began to April this year, 171 companies based in Ireland have had projects approved for funding under the programme. A number of companies are involved in more than one project and the total number of projects approved involving Irish companies in that period is 262. The total amount of funding to Irish based companies in these projects is €74.8 million. Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) account for €55.5 million i.e. 74% of funding to Private Industry with 206 out of the 262 participations in projects. 22 Multinational companies (MNCs) based in Ireland have been approved funding and are involved in 56 approved projects.

Ireland's overall success rate in FP7 of 23% (percentage of successful Irish applications including industry and academic) remains above the European Member State average of 22.21%. The funding secured by Irish applicants at 21% (funding secured as percentage of funding requested) is also above the EU average of 20.68%. The high level of activity of Irish researchers and the Irish success rate ahead of the overall EU average are very positive indications of the prospects for Irish participation in FP7 and are broadly in line with our national targets.

With regard to the number of projects pending and prospects for a major breakthrough, it is not possible to provide details at this stage. All major FP7 Calls for 2012 opened in July, 2011 and will close sequentially from September, 2011 to March, 2012. The next information available from the European Commission with regard to these Calls will be in April, 2012. There will be one more series of Calls in respect of 2013, before the end of FP7, which is due to conclude at the end of 2013.

The Commission gives special consideration to the funding of SMEs within FP7, setting a target of at least 15% of the available funding. Ireland's SME participation remains in line with this target. Indeed, Ireland has the highest SME participation degree of the EU 27 Member States, with 104 per 100,000 SMEs participating in FP7 Themes.

EU support for innovation is also provided through the Competitiveness and Innovation Framework Programme (CIP) which runs from 2007 to 2013. It includes the Entrepreneurship and Innovation Programme which aims to improve the conditions for innovation, such as exchanges of best practices between Member States and actions to improve, encourage and promote innovation in enterprises. It also includes the ICT Policy Support Programme which aims to stimulate the new converging markets for electronic networks and services, media content and digital technologies. The CIP is administered through the Commissioner for Enterprise and Industry.