Barry Cowen (Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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289. To ask the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the specific projects that will receive the €65 million in extra capital expenditure in 2019 as outlined in Annex 1 of the National Development Plan 2018-2027; the amount each project will receive of this €65 million in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [31268/18]

Barry Cowen (Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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290. To ask the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the specific projects which will receive the €620 million in capital funding allocated in 2019; the amount each project will receive of the €620 million in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [31283/18]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 289 and 290 together.

The distribution of the allocations across my Department’s Vote for 2019 will be determined through the annual Revised Estimates Volume (REV) processes. It is not possible at this time to provide the Deputy with the specific capital funding allocations for 2019.  As regards the 2019 estimates process, it is expected that finalisation and publication of the 2019 REV allocations will be determined in early December 2018.

The Deputy will be aware that the recently published National Development Plan (NDP) sets out a high-level financial and budgetary framework, which includes indicative Exchequer allocations, for each Ministerial Vote Group, over a five-year period from 2018 to 2022. The indicative allocation for my Department for 2019 is €620m this represent €65 million in extra capital expenditure in 2019 above the €555m allocated in 2018. The precise budgetary Ministerial capital ceiling for 2019 will be determined as part of the annual Estimates processes.

Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Deputy will be aware that the NDP, which is a ten-year plan out to 2027, also set out the investment priorities necessary to achieve the National Strategic Outcome 5: A Strong Economy, supported by Enterprise, Innovation and Skills. I and my Department are working to accelerate implementation of the key initiatives for which I have lead responsibility. These include;

- The second phase of the €60m Regional Enterprise Development Fund. Launched in early April this is part of a rolling programme of competitive calls over the coming years, and builds on the €31m of awards I announced in December 2017;

- On 29 June in Drogheda I launched the call for Expressions of Interest from businesses and research organisations for the Government's new €500m Disruptive Technologies Fund and I look forward to announcing the first awards in 2019;

- My Department is currently completing a review of the Seed and Venture Capital Scheme 2013-2018 and I will then bring forward proposals for a further scheme in 2019;

- IDA Ireland is continuing to invest in property solutions to attract investments into the regions;

- The number of world class Science Foundation Ireland Research Centres will increase further this year with the establishment of the Future Milk Centre;

- Additional funding is being provided in 2018 and beyond to increase the number of PhD qualified researchers from higher education sector;

- With the aid of funding from my Department and the Department of Agriculture, Food and Marine and support of the SBCI and the European Investment Bank, I and Ministers Creed and Donohoe announced a new €300 million Brexit working capital loan fund for businesses with less than 500 employees at the end of March. This scheme is making working capital available to impacted firms at an interest rate of 4%. My Department is also working with colleagues in the Department of Agriculture, Food and Marine, SBCI and EIB on developing a long-term loan scheme for businesses affected by Brexit.

While the NDP is at a very early stage of its existence, I am determined to maximise the potential impacts of the funding being provided to my Department so as to ensure sustainable growth and quality employment for all.