James Lawless (Kildare North, Fianna Fail)
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37. To ask the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the immediate contingency steps she is taking with European colleagues to ensure EU research and development funding is not reduced following the decision by the UK to leave the EU. [6345/17]

Mary Mitchell O'Connor (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael)
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The Government has been preparing to respond to the UK decision to leave the EU for well over a year. Ministerial and official level engagement is intensifying with the other 26 Member States. To ensure a coordinated DJEI policy response and approach to the negotiations:

- I chair a regular coordination meeting with the enterprise agencies CEOs and relevant DJEI policy officers;

- The Secretary General of my department chairs a regular meeting of Senior Officials from across DJEI representing all areas of the Department;

- A Brexit Unit supports day to day coordination of DJEI policy response.

In addition, as part of my department's response to Brexit, I have secured €162.5 million for Science Foundation Ireland in 2017, an increase of €5.5 million over 2016 levels. In addition, 39 additional staff have been approved for Enterprise Ireland, two of whom will be assigned to the national support network for Horizon 2020, the current EU Framework Programme for Research and Innovation.

The full impact of the UK’s departure on the EU Research and Innovation budget will depend on the outcome of negotiations between the UK and the EU. However, it is unlikely that the UK will leave the UK before March 2019 and therefore its departure should not have any significant impact on EU funding for Horizon 2020.

In relation to the next EU Framework Programme for Research and Innovation, to commence in 2021, my officials maintain regular contact with the European Commission and other Member States with a view to maximising the allocation of EU funding to the programme.