Derek Nolan (Galway West, Labour)
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284. To ask the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the number of jobs here dependent on the space industry; the value of same to the economy; the policy and supports of his Department towards the development and growth of the space industry here; his views that the industry is to be a growth area; his Department's interaction with the European Space Agency and other European member states on the issue; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48215/14]

Damien English (Meath West, Fine Gael)
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Since Ireland joined the European Space Agency (ESA) in 1975, Irish industry and research groups have been at the heart of Europe’s space missions building a reputation as providers of innovative technologies for use in the European space programme. My Department, in association with Enterprise Ireland, supports Irish companies to bid on ESA development contracts and to exploit the technologies in commercial space and non-space markets.

The State’s investment in ESA Space programmes (€17.3m in 2014) reflects a strategy that prioritises Ireland’s investment in those ESA programmes which support technology innovation and technology transfer that leads to export, sales and employment generation by Irish industry. Ireland will continue to pursue this strategy through representation at ESA Ministerial Council, Council at Delegate level and at relevant Programme Boards and through engagement with other ESA member States in order to maximise the opportunities for Ireland.

Ireland’s Space Strategy is focused on strengthening the competitiveness of Irish industry in the global space market through supporting product development and qualification for the space market, building supply team relations and supporting access to new geographic and sectoral markets. A key element of the strategy is to focus on technologies that can be qualified for space use, but also adapted for and commercialised in a range of other markets such as the broader space and aerospace market, biomedical, energy and telecommunications. ESA is also providing increasing levels of support for Irish 3rd level research and increased support for 3rd level industrial collaboration. Irish companies have developed a specific reputation for introducing innovative and disruptive technologies to the space programme, in a number of cases leveraging the R&D investment supported through SFI and EI.

The engineering expertise developed in ESA programmes has been applied by many Irish companies to develop products in a range of non-space market sectors for which performance-critical technologies are required. Irish companies have used ESA to develop new intellectual property and develop new geographic markets. ESA acts as a valuable reference site for these companies, enabling them to compete for non-ESA related business.

In recent years Ireland has seen strong and sustainable growth within existing Irish ESA contractors and in the number of new Irish companies entering the space and space related markets. The number of Irish companies securing ESA contracts has increased by 15 in the past 5 years. The total number of Irish companies currently active in ESA programmes is approximately 45 with over 80 Irish companies having secured ESA contracts in the past ten years. The number of new companies entering the sector is expected to continue to grow in 2014/2015. The value of revenues being generated by Irish companies as a result of ESA support is also expected to show significant growth of between 8 to 10% per annum.

An independent assessment of Ireland’s membership of ESA, conducted in 2012, indicated total employment in Irish companies actively engaged in contracts with ESA to be 1,300 in 2012 and projected to increase to over 2,000 by 2015. This assessment also indicated that the value of commercial sales derived from ESA contracts, including direct ESA contracts, to be €44 million in 2011. The value to Ireland from ESA contracts is far greater than the monetary value of ESA contracts placed. A further evaluation of the economic impact of Ireland’s membership of ESA is under way at present and the findings of this evaluation will guide Ireland’s investment strategy in the space sector in coming years.