Willie Penrose (Longford-Westmeath, Labour)
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319. To ask the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the status of an application by an organisation (details supplied) for grant assistance; if she will provide funding for this; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [20224/16]

Mary Mitchell O'Connor (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael)
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The details supplied pertain to a Westmeath based unit of the Irish Manufacturing Research Centre (IMR). IMR is an Enterprise Ireland/IDA Ireland Technology Centre focused on manufacturing and industrial energy efficiency research aimed at delivering solutions to manufacturing companies throughout Ireland. The Centre offers the manufacturing industry a unique environment to collaborate with peer companies across all manufacturing sectors, and to inform and guide manufacturing research that can provide solutions to industry problems.

I asked my officials to consult with Enterprise Ireland in relation to the grant assistance referred to in the Deputy’s question. My officials are advised there is no application for grant assistance pending for the Unit in question. IMR receives the core of its funding from Enterprise Ireland (currently in the region of €15 million over 5 years) but, like all Technology Centres, the Centre must also attract a portion of matching funding from industry and also from competitive research funding sources. These additional funding sources ensure that Enterprise Ireland /IDA Ireland Technology Centres remain relevant to industry’s needs while also being of a sufficient research & technological standard to win competitive funding. The Mullingar based unit of this Technology Centre receives its funding from the central IMR budget where funding & governance decisions are made by its Board, which is predominantly comprised of industry representatives.