Gino Kenny (Dublin Mid West, People Before Profit Alliance)
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1477. To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources if his attention has been drawn to the fact that the National Digital Research Centre, NDRC, whose budget is paid entirely from State funds, refused to support an initiative to assist the fledgling start-up ecosystem in Palestine citing NDRC’s purported politically neutral status in view of the fact that it has provided support and sponsorship to a programme of engagement with the start-up ecosystem of Israel (details supplied); his plans to influence the NDRC to co-operate in extending support to the Palestine start-up ecosystem or to cease support for the Israeli start-up ecosystem; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41592/16]

Denis Naughten (Roscommon-Galway, Independent)
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The NDRC is a not-for-profit company which operates the National Digital Research Centre under a Concession Agreement with my Department. The matters referred to in the Deputy's question are a day-to-day operational matter for the company and I, as Minister, have no role in this regard. I have, however, asked NDRC to correspond directly with the Deputy in the matter.