Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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To ask the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the extent to which Irish firms continue to access and benefit from innovation and technology assistance directly or indirectly; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42062/12]

Richard Bruton (Dublin North Central, Fine Gael)
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Ireland’s open economy needs to have the export of goods and services at the heart of its economic strategy. As Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, I have set-out an approach which is focused on economic recovery, by delivering improvements in competitiveness, ensuring companies have access to the finance they need to grow and by prioritising innovation as a key driver of success which will lead to jobs and export growth.

My Department and the relevant State Agencies under its remit, have a clear focus on the potential and opportunities that exist and can be created. Enterprise development Agencies, Enterprise Ireland, IDA and Science Foundation Ireland, provide a spectrum of innovation and technology development programmes that deliver financial, technical and experiential support to help companies become more innovative, encourage and support competitiveness, and help them grow their sales and exports in order to create a climate in which sustainable employment will grow and expand. It is my view that Innovation and the use of technology will be among the core drivers of job creation in Ireland’s key sectors during 2012 and into the coming years.

A wide range of programmes are being delivered by the Enterprise Agencies - Enterprise Ireland, IDA Ireland and Science Foundation Ireland, to promote research & development and innovation and give Irish enterprise a competitive edge in the global market place.

Enterprise Ireland, the agency responsible for the development and promotion of the indigenous business sector, is focused on the growth of world-class Irish companies to achieve strong positions in global markets. Enterprise Ireland provides research, development and technological innovation support relevant at all stages of company development, enabling companies to progress from undertaking an initial research project to higher level innovation and R&D activities. Enterprise Ireland funds the undertaking of R&D to support significant in-company projects which have the potential to develop new processes, products and services.

Enterprise Ireland has a range of programmes and soft supports focusing on research, development and innovation to facilitate and support businesses to compete sustainably in international markets. Information on all supports for research and development is available on the websites of Enterprise Ireland, Science Foundation Ireland and the County Enterprise Boards.

In addition, Enterprise Ireland is engaged in efforts to extract maximum value from Ireland’s research system – the objective is to work with companies to secure commercial purpose, leading to jobs and sales, for technologies and ideas developed in Irish research institutions. Enterprise Ireland also operates a range of supports to help companies engage with third level researchers to undertake collaborative research for the benefit of the company. Larger collaborative research projects involving groups of companies are also supported.

Enterprise Ireland are engaged in a number of specific opportunities to assist the SME sector to avail of its support programmes.

For example, through the Enterprise Europe Network which includes Enterprise Ireland and the Chambers of Commerce of Cork, Dublin, Galway, Sligo and Waterford, Enterprise Ireland produced a new on-line directory of innovation supports to assist companies and their advisers in sourcing the various forms of support required to promote innovation and R&D. This new directory was promoted through a series of workshops and seminars held in the various regions. The new directory is now available through the internationally co-ordinated Enterprise Europe Network website.

Enterprise Ireland has appointed a panel of 38 Advocates whose role is to assist companies in formulating projects to develop their business through innovation and R&D. This follows on from previous successful Advocate programmes which have assisted companies to identify their best options for development of new products, processes and services in order to grow sales into new international markets.

The Industry Research & Development Group (IRDG) Innovation Network, supported by Enterprise Ireland, has been undertaking a range of successful seminars around the country including seminars on R&D Tax Credits (including a workshop on Audits), an event devoted to Services Innovation in Waterford and promotion of collaboration through the “Supporting Business In The Mid-West” seminar held at the University of Limerick. This seminar was designed to highlight the benefits of collaboration with Higher Education Institutes for businesses in the Mid-West.

The Irish Software Innovation Network (ISIN), funded by Enterprise Ireland and managed by the Irish Software Association (ISA), offers a free matchmaking and knowledge-brokering service to help software companies to identify and engage with relevant third-level research institutes.

The Construction Information Technology Alliance (CITA), funded by Enterprise Ireland, aims to leverage Building/Business Information Modelling (BIM) to facilitate integrated project delivery and reduced costs in construction industry.

As part of the Action Plan for Jobs Enterprise Ireland is actively working with IDA Ireland to attract companies to avail of R&D tax credits for the first time. The preliminary work involves the development of an updated R&D tax credit brochure, which will be jointly issued by the two agencies later this year. The next stage will involve a series of agency workshops which will promote an understanding and use of “R&D tax credits”.

Research and development support programmes and initiatives will continue to be delivered by the enterprise agencies in support of Irish businesses in order to drive growth, sustainability, exports and job creation. My department and its enterprise agencies will continue to promote the application of research & development and innovation to gain competitive advantage and to build on the strengths that have emerged from the investment to date in Science Technology and Innovation.