Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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To ask the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the number of enterprises that have received approval in each of the past four years to date in both the manufacturing an/or service sectors which have encompassed the use of innovation and technology; the number of jobs created in the course thereof; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9445/13]

Richard Bruton (Dublin North Central, Fine Gael)
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As innovation and technology are aspects of employment across most sectors it is not possible to disaggregate the information as sought by the Deputy. Similarly, it is not possible to disaggregate the number of grant approvals by the enterprise agencies that are innovation and technology related in the manufacturing and services sectors.

My Department and its agencies are focused on the development and support of internationally trading manufacturing and services firms in Ireland, and have a clear and steady focus on the potential and opportunities that exist and can be created by prioritising innovation as a key driver of success. Enterprise development agencies, Enterprise Ireland (EI), 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.

EI is focused on the growth of world-class Irish companies to achieve strong positions in global markets and works directly with businesses, and the research and investment communities in Ireland to build sustainable competitive advantage for our economy. EI has a range of initiatives focusing on innovation which support businesses to compete sustainably in international markets, in the areas of Organisational and Management Development, Research and Development, Operations and Production, Finance and Investment, Business Strategy and Start-Up.

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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To ask the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the number of jobs created in each of the past five years to date that have qualified for EU support under heading of science, technology and innovation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9446/13]

Richard Bruton (Dublin North Central, Fine Gael)
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Statistics on the creation of jobs under the heading of Science, Innovation and Technology alone in the enterprise base are not readily available. These are not industrial sectors per se and much of the modern enterprise base is underpinned by science, technology and innovation including for example, pharmaceuticals, ICT, agri-food, medical devices, engineering and even financial services which are developing innovative products and services.

The Action Plan for Jobs emphasises the significance of innovation and the use of technology as critical drivers of job creation in Ireland while seeking to maximise their impact in the coming years. Substantial ongoing investment is being made in Ireland’s national innovation ecosystem and in the supports that build the innovative capability in Irish enterprise. In tandem with this approach it is recognised that substantial international expertise and important sources of non-exchequer funding are available via EU research initiatives.

Enterprise Ireland is the Irish agency responsible for helping Irish companies and third level researchers to participate in the Seventh EU Framework Programme for Research (FP7) which has a budget of €50 billion over its 7 year timeframe which ends in 2013. FP7 offers valuable opportunities to companies of all sizes based in Ireland to participate in high-quality research collaborations with their European counterparts, with the support of EU funding. Collaborative Research forms the core of the FP7 programme, fostering collaborative research across Europe through transnational consortia of industry and academia.

Through Enterprise Ireland’s facilitation and financial support, Irish companies and academic researchers have secured in the region of €85M in 2011 and approximately €95m in 2012. The official returns for the preceding years were:

- €54.3M in 2008

- €68.9M in 2009

- €72.0M in 2010

This funding has provided a considerable increase in the innovative capability of Irish academics and industry over and above existing exchequer investments in this area.