Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael)
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150. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if he will set out a timeline to legislate for the creation of a new competitive funding research agency; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32870/22]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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The Programme for Government Our Shared Future includes a commitment to ensure that Ireland is a global leader in research and innovation across the arts, humanities, social sciences and STEM. Consequently, Impact 2030: Ireland's Research and Innovation Strategy, which I launched on the 18^thof May, positions research and innovation at the heart of addressing Ireland's societal, economic and environmental challenges.

A key initiative in Impact 2030is to bring a landmark Research Bill to government to create a new competitive research and innovation funding agency, combining and building on the missions of the Irish Research Council and Science Foundation Ireland. The agency will not only support research across all disciplines, but it will enable greater interdisciplinary research activity in Ireland. This amalgamation will also improve coordination of funding activities, administrative efficiencies and it will simplify the suite of supports for researchers, while building on both funders’ respective existing track records and international reputations.

The contribution of this new agency to the national research and innovation system and the alignment with the broader tertiary system and policy developments within my Department must be considered. In addition, the agency will have a role in ensuring a cohesive delivery of Ireland’s international research and innovation strategic engagements.

The first step in this task is to establish a workgroup for the Research Bill which will consider the legislative process, transitional arrangements and establishment of the new agency.

The timeline involved will be informed by this work.

Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael)
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151. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the way in which he intends to increase indigenous productivity by 2.5% per annum; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32871/22]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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Impact 2030 will intensify our commitment to Ireland’s knowledge-based economy, increasing and deepening enterprise research and innovation activity, which will be central to long-term economic and social sustainability at national and regional level.

My Department works closely with the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment, which will be leading on Impact 2030's commitment to ensuring that innovation drives enterprise success.

Increasing productivity will all add to the resilience of Irish businesses, preparing them to continue to succeed in an increasingly competitive global market. As such, increasing indigenous productivity by 2.5% per annum is a key target for Enterprise Ireland in its recently published strategy, Leading in a Changing World.

One of the core strategic objectives will be to boost the productivity of established businesses and connect enterprises with innovation opportunities at home and internationally, maximising their growth and job creation potential. Enterprise Ireland will deliver targeted initiatives to boost productivity and scale start-ups and established companies with high growth potential.

The Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment through its agency Enterprise Ireland and working with the Local Enterprise Offices (LEOs) and others will prioritise the development of a strong pipeline of companies with the potential to internationalise and grow their productivity, providing a clear pathway for progression from the LEOs to Enterprise Ireland for small companies with the potential to export.

Key drivers for productivity growth in indigenous industries will include the creation and exploitation of intangible assets including intellectual property, technology, and managerial and specialist skills. It is also clear thatleveraging digital technology to improve productivity and profitability will develop new market opportunities. Increased levels of investment in innovation, digital adoption and transformation are essential to strengthen the productivity and operational effectiveness of Irish enterprise, developing high value products and services and delivering competitiveness on international markets.

Enterprise Ireland will drive a major increase in digital adoption and transformation by Irish enterprise, helping to strengthen competitiveness and productivity across people, processes and technology.

Initiatives include:

- Working with the LEO Centre of Excellence to deliver digitalisation awareness, supports and content across EI and LEO client bases.

- Driving SME awareness of and connectivity to new European Digital Innovation Hubs, Digital Cluster, Tech Centres and wider infrastructure across SME base.

- Formally establish up to 4 European Digital Innovation Hubs to support the digital transformation of Irish SMEs, as part of wider programme of digitalisation support to Irish enterprise.

- Leverage strategic partnerships with key digital platforms, including extending HPSU partnership agreement with MNCs to include an SME digitalisation focus (MoU with Google across SMEs and LEOs).

- Enterprise Ireland will develop and launch new International Selling Programme, with a focus on digital marketing/ transformation, with new products/services.

- Delivery of short flexible Sales & Marketing programmes (virtual selling, Digital Lead Generation, Value Proposition, Market intelligence, channel management, etc) including targeted roll out to LEO clients.

- Adapting Enterprise Ireland leadership programmes (building in Digital transformation, Sustainability and ESG as required).

- Provision of Digital manufacturing course (with Solas).

- Capability building in Digitalisation and cybersecurity (with Skillsnet).

- Development of online portal/tools to support 1 to many digitalisation capability, skills building and provide access to information, exemplar case studies, external online training, signposting to supports, and MNC partner content for SME digitalisation.

- Launch awareness building campaign on digitalisation, to meet gaps identified around knowledge & awareness, skills, technology adoption and access to finance.

- Delivery of new Digital Transition Fund (NRRF), in 2022 to support digital adoption across Irish enterprise through one-to-many online supports (for EI and LEO clients) and one-to-one funding supports (including RD&I).

- Enabling clients to avail of EU Digital Funding (European Enterprise Network; EIC).

- Expanding training grants (beyond LEAN) to allow firms engage 3rd party providers to boost management skills across core functional and transformational (digital, sustainability) areas.

- Grad Start and enhanced key manager grants focusing on new areas (Digital, Climate).

- Build out digital sales and marketing hub/expertise to develop new products/services to embed digital marketing capability across the client base (e.g., digitalisation voucher).

- Introduce New Exporter Scorecard and supports to increase number of digital exporters micro/SME.

- Mapping the exporter journey and fully develop the engagement model maximising digital by default delivery.

Additionally, Housing for All is the government’s housing plan to 2030. Under this plan, Enterprise Ireland, along with other agencies, will undertake initiatives to drive an increase in the levels of innovation and productivity in the construction sector. In line with the objectives under Housing for All, Enterprise Ireland will provide targeted advisory and technology assistance to the construction sector to deliver an increase in innovation and productivity.

Enterprise Ireland will support the construction sector to deliver an increase in innovation and productivity through the launch of a new Construction Technology Innovation Centre.

Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael)
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152. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if he will set out a timeline for the undertaking of a comprehensive review of the impact of research and innovation in Ireland; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32872/22]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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Impact 2030 includes plans for a comprehensive impact review.  Given its relevance and importance to both existing investment and the nature of any future investment in research and innovation, it will be progressed as part of the Strategy's first Work Programme, i.e. during the 2022 to 2024 period.

Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael)
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153. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills when he intends to establish a new research and innovation policy advisory forum; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32873/22]

Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael)
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154. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the mechanism by which the new research and innovation policy advisory forum will operate; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32874/22]

Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael)
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155. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills when he intends to establish the Impact 2030 steering group; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32875/22]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 153, 154 and 155 together.

Impact 2030: Ireland’s Research and Innovation Strategy sets out a whole of Government ambition for research and innovation in Ireland out to 2030. The overarching purpose of Impact 2030 is to maximise the impact of research and innovation on multiple national priorities. Grounded in extensive consultation and analysis, it will progress objectives that are shared across the Irish research and innovation system.

Key to ensuring successful implementation of Impact 2030 is the establishment of strong governance and oversight structures. Strong R&I strategy advisory, governance and oversight structures will ensure that R&I plays a central role in delivering on Government policies, articulating the impact of R&I on our economy and society and advocating for increased public and private investment in R&I.

As announced in the strategy, I will be chairing a new national R&I Advisory Forum. The Forum will provide an agreed structure for engagement between members of the research and innovation community and policy decision makers. The composition of the Forum is currently being developed by officials in my department. It is intended that the first meeting will take place in early 2023.

We will strengthen policy direction and collaboration on R&I and ensure implementation of the strategy with the establishment of an Impact 2030 Steering Group and an Impact 2030 Implementation Forum. These structures will underpin the whole-of-Government nature of this strategy. It is planned that the first meeting of each of these two groups will take place in July.

Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael)
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156. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the way that he intends to attract the best students globally to participate in research and innovation in Ireland; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32876/22]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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Currently, Ireland performs well in attracting international students. Thirty percent (30%) of Irish doctoral students are from other countries, compared to an EU average of 19%.

Impact 2030: Ireland’s Research and Innovation Strategy, which I launched on the 18^thof May, places talent at the heart of our research and innovation system. One of its objectives is to attract the best students globally to take part in the Irish experience, learning from the best and gaining cross cutting experience, through existing programmes and through the development of new initiatives, for instance, through partnership between industry and Government.

My Department is exploring how this action can be taken forward, in consultation with research funders.