Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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29. To ask the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation his plans to encourage greater levels of research and development; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18357/15]

Damien English (Meath West, Fine Gael)
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All of our agencies have policies in place to encourage greater levels of research and innovation and to build the innovation capacity of our enterprises. Enterprise Ireland directly supports companies who engage in innovation with instruments designed to support companies at different levels of engagement in innovation.

IDA also has a suite of supports for client companies who invest in research.

Both IDA and EI collaborate in the establishment of clusters of companies to engage in innovation through Technology Centres. Nine new Technology Centres have been established under this government, the most recent of which was in Dairy Processing where huge opportunities exist for Ireland.

Science Foundation Ireland is a major funder of enterprise-focused research, Through Research Prioritisation it has ensured that investment is made where Ireland has the capacity to build competitive advantage. Its flagship investment in 12 world class Research Centres has made industry partnership a prerequisite for success.

A major focus of all the efforts of state agencies has been to increase the impact of investment in research on job creation. To this end, Knowledge Transfer Ireland was established in 2013. It has built upon the new IP protocol by taking initiatives to increase the uptake in terms of licences and spin-outs. The opportunity for successful commercialisation is supported by EI programmes for High Potential Start-Ups and by the Commercialisation Fund.

Since we have come into Government:

- the levels of Business Expenditure on Research and Development has increased from €1.86bn in 2011 to an estimated €2.09bn in 2013 due to, inter alia, improvements in the R&D tax credit regime;

- 12 world class SFI Research Centres have been established - the largest ever combined Government and industry co-funding collaboration of its kind in the research field in Ireland, involving up to 300 companies and a commitment of some €200m in cash and in-kind contributions from industry partners;

- A further nine industry relevant Technology Centres were established, bringing the total number of centres to 15, and involving collaboration with over 300 companies;

- Collaborative innovations between industry and the higher education sector reached 2,202 between 2011 and 2013;

- 294 HPSUs were established between 2011 and 2013;

- In 2013, the year in which Knowledge Transfer Ireland was established, there was a sharp increase in the number of loans/options/assignments signed, up 60% from the previous year at 139. In the same year, 31 technologies that had previously been licensed out by an RPO became available for commercial use.