Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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104. To ask the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation based on the experience over the past two and a half years, the extent to which innovation, technology and financial support from the EU Commission in respect of such has facilitated job creation opportunities in this jurisdiction; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42948/13]

Richard Bruton (Dublin North Central, Fine Gael)
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Statistics on the creation of jobs by innovation and technology in the enterprise base are not available separately. Innovation and technology are elements of a series of inputs which are requisite for a job to be sustained in commercial enterprise – companies need to identify markets to sell their goods and services, they need to have finance in order to invest in capital and human resources, they need to put in place the delivery and production capacity which meets their customers’ needs and they need to focus on the development of new and improved products, processes and services which can ably compete in international markets.

Ireland’s enterprises must be able to competitively differentiate themselves in global markets so that they can win sales and create sustainable employment. A critical element of the Government’s strategy is to provide supports to help companies to grow global sales and local employment through the most important economic differentiator; innovation. My Department and the State Agencies under its remit are focused on the development and support of internationally trading manufacturing and services firms in Ireland in this regard. 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 has been 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.

The Seventh EU Framework Programme for Research and Development (FP7), with a budget of €55 billion for the period 2007 to 2013, is the EU’s main instrument for funding research and development in Europe. FP7 offers Ireland's SMEs, multinationals, and research institutions valuable opportunities to participate in high-calibre research collaborations with our European counterparts. Enterprise Ireland is the Irish agency responsible for helping Irish companies and third level researchers to participate in FP7.

The most recent statistics available from the European Commission show that the total amount of funding received from FP7 to date by Irish research organisations and companies is €572 million. We are therefore well on track to achieve the target amount of funding from FP7 of €600 million. 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.

The innovation, technology and financial support from the European Commission to Irish research organisations, including companies, ultimately results in more sustainable jobs and leads to business expansion and increased job creation over the long term. I am confident that our research organisations and companies have the capability to continue this trend under FP7’s successor EU Research and Innovation programme - Horizon 2020, covering the years 2014 – 2020.